Who Would've Guessed
by Starry-eyed dreamer86
Summary: Katalina Snow: Capitol's Sweetheart, has more up her sleeve than anyone could've thought. Join her and and Head Gamemaker's son, Slader Gorge, as they take a journey that will lead up to the biggest revelation in Panem history.
1. Chapter 1

**Heya, so if you're one of my old readers and you're wondering why the crud you're reading the first chapter of this story again, then you can get that information on my profile. If you're a first time reader, then hello! Welcome to my story! I hope you enjoy!**

**I own nothing that Suzanne Collins created. **

~Prologue~

_~Kat~_

_I go by many names. Officially my name is Katalina Corella Copes or at least that's what originally went on my birth certificate. Then my mother insisted on changing it to match my Great Grandfather's. So then it was Katalina Corella Snow. Around the time I was three, I began to insist that people call me Kat. Naturally, being the typical Capitol citizen that she is, my mother saw this as a golden opportunity. So she went and had them 'surgically enhance' me, by giving me cat ears. Then when I was five, she decided the ears weren't enough, so I got a tail and whiskers to match. I tried to fight her about it, but apparently I was too young and didn't know what I was talking about. She said that when I'm older, if I still dislike them, she would allow me to have them removed. Well I'm older, I still hate them, but their still there. That shows you how much of a liar she is. On top of my lovely cat features, she also blessed me with bubblegum hair. That was for my eighth birthday. She said it matched my ears. I disagree of coarse, but what can I do._

_I don't like living in the Capitol. The people dress weird, look weird, talk weird, even smell weird. I would far rather live in the districts, where at least everyone's not idiots, even if it meant being at risk of being in the games. I hate when the time for games rolls around. Taking 24 innocent kids, ripped away from everything they know and everyone they love, to be thrown in an arena to kill each other. On top of the awfulness of the games in general, they make it some big sporting event. With interviews and Televised scores, and the chariot rides and the televised reaping; those are the worst._

_There's one more thing you need to know about me. This is where I get my other title as the Capitol's sweetheart. In case you haven't figured it out yet, my Great-Grandfather is the famous President Snow, President of Panem. He's 116. Pretty old, huh? I bet your wondering how he's made it this long, aren't ya? Well that's simple, thanks to the Capitol's advanced technology they've managed to find a way to not only keep him alive, but also keep him looking very well for his age. I love him dearly, but I hate what he's created. A place where half of the country lives in fear and hate and the other in ignorance. A place where the lives of 23 innocent children every year is a necessary sacrifice for a non-existent peace. A place where the only kids who manage to survive the horrible games either go mad, drown themselves in drugs and alcohol, or just learn to live with nightmares that will never go away, and grow every year as they watch more innocents die._

_This year is the 100th annual Hunger Games. 2,301 kids have died and 99 have been cursed. It is the fourth Quarter Quell. Grandfather Snow doesn't know, but I have changed the Quell. These games will be very special, I made sure of that. No one will forget this Quell. But the Games aren't for another six months. I plan to convince my grandfather to allow me to travel to each of the districts and perform interviews, seeing as I'm a student reporter at my school. I'll interview the citizens about past games and Quells. What they're predictions for this year are, you know the usual stuff. Boy will they be surprised when the quell comes._

_~Kat~_

**There's never really much to say the second time you post a story...so...yeah...**

**Review!**


	2. Starting

_Strarting_

President Snow paused, his fork halfway to his mouth, at the sight of his Great-Granddaughter. Katalina was not one to be up and about early, but she seemed to have been up for hours. Her bubblegum hair lay flat and dry around her face and he could just see her cat ears peeking out of them. Snow had always thought the ears were rather cute, he thought the tail and whiskers was going a little too far however. He often considered trying to convince his granddaughter to have them removes. Kat hated them he knew and he wasn't a big fan of them. He kept it to himself, however. For one, he knew it was a loosing battle anyways and two, the Capitol people adored it, so...

As usual, Kat was dressed in her own personal style that was not common in either the capitol or the Districts. She wore a hot pink jacket made of a slightly stiff material and a white, spaghetti strapped top with pink cargo pants, one leg rolled up to her knees while the other hung to her feet loosely and hot pink kicks. She had bugged and bugged every stylist in the Capitol to make her a pair, after coming across a picture of someone wearing them hundreds of years ago. The Capitol had gone wild when she finally got them and suddenly every kid in the Capitol wanted one. Kat had threatened the stylists with their lives over this. If they sold a pair to anyone else she would have them executed, and Snow was quick to back her up. She never used her power like this so it proved how important it was to her that this just be her thing.

"Good Morning!" She chirped happily to him.

Snow lowered his fork back to his plate and examined her. She wasn't paying attention however. She sat down and cheerfully thanked the Avox that placed her breakfast in front of her. Snow shook his head at this. If he had told her once he had told her a thousand times, there was no need to thank the Avoxes. She did it anyways, and Snow had decided a while back to just let it go. She'd probably grow out of it in a few years.

"Well you up early," Snow said at last and Kat grinned at him.

"Why not," she shrugged. "Am I not allowed to be up early for a change?"

Snow gave a slight shrug that made his shoulders sting. "I suppose it's alright."

Kat giggled and then her smile quickly vanished when she looked down at her plate. She gave an ever so slight sigh, placed her fork down, and then folded her hands neatly in her lap. Then she proceeded to return her smile as though nothing had happened. "What is it?" Snow wondered.

Kat shook her head, "Nothing."

Snow was already craning his neck to see her plate. Sure enough, placed neatly on top of her warm stack of pancakes, were two freshly cut strawberries. "Idiot!" he shouted loudly at the nearest Avox. The Avox jumped and Kat nearly leapt out of her chair with a stifled yelp. "Are you trying to kill her? Well, what are you still standing there for?" He shouted. The Avox quickly dipped its head and took the plate from the girl and disappeared through a door.

Kat sat in silence a moment. Then she seemed to get back her positive spirit. "So, this year is a Quarter Quell, right?" she asked brightly.

Snow paused, the bit he'd bee trying to take since she walked in again halfway to his mouth. He knew for a fact Kat didn't like the Hunger Games. He could remember when she was young and her mother allowed her to begin watching the games. She had cried for every tribute that died. It wasn't as bad anymore. She only cried when a younger tribute or a disabled tribute or any other kind of underdog, died. When a more normal tribute died she tried to remain impassive, but her eyes always grew wet. When a Career was taken down, she remained hard face, but Snow knew when she was in her room alone, she cried for them, too. She always became rather bitter when the games rolled around and she never took any interest in past games or other game traditions. So why was she bringing them up now? Had she finally come to enjoy them?

"Yes," he replied suspiciously.

"I thought it would be interesting to do a story for school about the Quell," Kat went on casually.

"That would be interesting," Snow agreed thoughtfully, rubbing his chin. He had a feeling he knew where this was going.

"So, to do a proper one, I figure I need to do interviews of the districts as well as the Capitols."

Snow stuck the bite in his mouth and chewed slowly. An Avox came a placed a new plate in front of her. She immediately stuffed a forkful of pancake in her mouth and chewed it slowly, watching with intent blue eyes.

"Have you talked about this with your mother?"

Kat slowly shook her head and swallowed. "I was kinda hoping that you could..."

Snow nodded in understanding. He didn't think it was a bad idea when he thought about it. It would give her the opportunity to see the Districts first-hand and maybe then she would realize why the games were a good thing. It was also a good way to see how high tension in the districts were. "So you want to visit the Districts and perform interviews," he confirmed. Kat nodded. "Who do you plan to interview?"

Kat shrugged. "The district people, the victors, especially the victors from the second and third Hunger Games. They are both still alive last I heard." Snow nodded and Kat continued. "Then when I get back I can interview Capitols."

Snow nodded, "I'll speak to your mother about it." Kat smiled broadly. Snow stood and left and Avoxes quickly cleared away the remnants of his breakfast. Kat quickly scarfed down her breakfast and was off to her room. Once there, she flopped down on her bed and pulled up her notebook. She quickly scrawled a few questions down on the paper and after a few minuets, her mind began to wander. She was in the middle of daydreaming about the farms she was sure to find in District 10 when a white-clad Peacekeeper yanked her from her thoughts.

"Miss Snow?"

Kat frowned in frustration, "Yes?"

"Your friend would like to talk," the man said in a husky voice.

Kat waved him away. "Just tell her I'm busy."

The man nodded and turned off. She barely had time to get back into her daydreams before, once again, she was interrupted. "Well now. Isn't that interesting."

A low warning growl escaped Kat's throat. The dark-haired boy leaning on her door frame smirked. "Go away, Slader."

"Now why would I wanna do that?" The boy wondered allowed.

"Because if you don't I'll bite you," Kat threatened gnashing her teeth for emphasizes.

Slader gave an amused laugh at this. "Sorry Lina, your mother hasn't given you cat teeth to match yet."

Kat sneered at him. Slader was the son of the current Head Gamemaker. Kat couldn't stand him. He was cocky, arrogant and everything else she hated in people. Admittedly, however, they had a lot in common. He hated the games as well, and hated living in the Capitol. He wasn't as unfortunate as Kat, however. His parent's allowed him to make his own fashion decisions, so he appeared considerably normal. The only thing was that he had allowed his mother to convince him to put red, orange, and yellow in his black hair, in a manner that looked as though it was a cluster of cloths that had been lit to fire. This had been done by the District 12 Stylist for the games. Cinna hadn't been fond of doing it at first, but they threatened him with his job, so he gave in.

"If you call me Lina again I'll show you just how cat-like I am," Kat growled dangerously.

"What?" he snorted, "You'll pull an Enobaria?" He was referring to the District 2 victor from a games before even their parents' times, of course. The one who ripped a fellow tribute's throat out with her teeth. Kat had heard that story a few times from Grandfather Snow. It was one of the most famous of it's time.

"Go away!" Kat snarled at him.

He threw his hands up innocently and said, "Alright, alright! I'll go." But he didn't budge.

"Slader."

"Why are you being so rude?" he wondered. "I just wanted to talk."

"And I don't" Kat told him.

"What's going on here?" Kat heard her great-grandfather's voice and stuck out her tongue at Slader. The boy whipped his head around to look at the approaching President.

"Nothing, Sir," Slader stammered. "Just talking."

"Go, Boy," Snow told him. "I need to talk to Katalina alone!"

Slader ducked his head down and was quickly gone. Snow turned and smiled warmly at Kat, who returned the smile. "So I managed to convince your mother to let you go. You'll spend two weeks in each District. That will get you home around time for the Quell reading."

Kat smiled. "Thanks."

Snow nodded his head and added, "Begin packing, you'll leave for District 1 in two days."

He then turned to leave. "Grandpa, wait!" Snow paused and cocked his head in a manner that showed he was listening. "Could you get me access to all of the previous games? I want to know a little bit about the past games and victors."

He nodded approval and then was gone. Kat smiled, this was going so perfectly. She then stood and began preparing for the trip. She was excited to see District 1 itself, but it's people she could live without. From what she could tell they were almost as bad as the Capitol people.

**Review!**


	3. District 1

**So, you didn't get an update yesterday because I was at a marching competition all night. On the bright side, we got 1's(For those of you that haven't the slightest clue, Marching competitions give one of four scores, 1 being the best and 4 the worst.) and our over all band got a 2, (but we were very close to the 1...:'(**

**Anyways, here is the next chapter! so enjoy!**

**I own nothing!**

_District 1_

_District 1: Luxury. This district has produced more victors than can be counted and is well-known as a Career District. It is believed that this district trains their tributes for the games, which is technically illegal. However, it gives a good show, so it is overlooked. For two weeks I will be here to study the district. I will start my research in the streets of the town square where I will interview the citizens."_

Kat then proceeded to click her recorder off as she stepped off of the train and into the train station. She was met by cheers of excitement from the people of District 1. She put on her most award-winning smile, that she used mostly for public events in the capital, and the crowd went berserk. She began to walk down a path cleared by peacekeepers and everyone held out hand in the hope they would have an opportunity to even brush up against her. Kat was used to this and held her hands out, clapping as many as she could.

Finally, after what feels like hours, she's out of the train station and on the streets of District 1. The buildings stood almost as tall as Capitol buildings and were made of sheets of glass or marvel. She smiled at its beauty, at least there was something good about this place.

Kat was vaguely aware of a group of girl standing off on the side-walk whispering excitedly. They obviously were not rich enough or important enough to get into the train station. A smirk played on Kat's lips and she changed direction so she was headed their way. As she began to approach them she caught some of their whispers. "Oh my gosh, she's coming over here!" "Does my hair look okay?" "I don't smell funny do I?" "I can't believe we're gonna get to talk to Katalina Snow!"

"Hey ladies," Kat said cheerfully, waving at the group. The girls went silent when she spoke.

As she got closer one of the girls gave an excited squeal and her blond hair swung wildly down her back as she bounced in excitement. "I can't believe Kat Snow is talking to us!" Then she seemed to think of something and stopped, "I'm sorry, I look silly when I do that."

"It's okay," Kat assured her with a warm smile. "We all have our moments. You should have seen me when Shimmer came to the Capitol for his Victory Tour."

The girls murmured in agreement and Kat mentally rolled her eyes. Shimmer was the victor of the 99th Hunger Games. He was an eighteen-year-old boy from District 1 and was a player almost as big as Finnick Odair. He was tall with shinning blue eyes and blond hair with just enough wave to it and that fell in tight sweep over his eyes. Tight muscles and tan skin made him look like he should have been more of a combination of District 4 and 2 rather than District 1.

The only girl in the group who didn't seem head-over-heels for him was the blond girl who had spoken. "He's my brother you know," she said with an amused grin.

"Really?" Kat asked. She hadn't known Shimmer had a sister. This didn't surprise her of course, sometimes tributes and victors don't reveal anything about their home lives, but if Shimmer had a pretty sister like this girl, then Kat would think he would want to show her off.

"Yes!" She replied excitedly. "My name's Glimmer!"

The memory of the 74th Hunger Games, which she had been watching before she arrived at District 1, forced its way to the front of her mind. The District 1 tribute from that year had been a gorgeous blond girl just like this girl before her named Glimmer. According to Claudius Templeman, the announcer of the games at the time, the girl had scores of young men, and even a few older men, drooling over her. Her death had been one of the most terrible. She had been camping out right under a tree that held the District 12 girl, Katniss Everdeen. While she had dozed off, the girl above her cut down a nest of Trackers, very vicious mutts used in the Districts' rebellion who's stings could cause insanity and commonly death, right on top of her. The mutts were quickly upon her and she got the brunt of the creatures' rage. Her demise was wracked with screams and convulsing and no doubt grueling hallucinations.

Kat gave an impulsive shudder then forced herself to put on a look of cheerful recognition. "Oh, the District 1 girl from the 74th Hunger Games was named Glimmer!"

Glimmer smiled happily, "Yes that's who I was named after!"

"That's so cool!" Kat exclaimed with fake enthusiasm.

"Yes it is! She's my hero. This year I'm gonna win the Hunger Games in her honor!" Glimmer seemed very confident in herself as she stated it.

Kat's smile faltered. "Really? You seem rather young to be in the games this year."

Glimmer's smile and confidence never faltered. "Sure I am, I am only thirteen, of course."

Kat's frown deepened. "Then why not wait until your older?"

"Because this year is a Quarter Quell!" Glimmer said as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. "It would be one of the greatest honors ever to win a Quarter Quell."

"Of course," Kat said, finally regaining her composure. "Duh."

Glimmer nodded approval and went on, "Of course everyone else will be going for this year, too, but I'm gonna volunteer first!"

Kat nodded to show she was listening. "So do you have any predictions for the Quell?"

Glimmer shrugged as the other girls in the group murmured their thoughts to one another. "What about the arena? Have any thoughts?"

Glimmer's face lit up, "Oh I'm not sure what they'll do, but I particularly like last year's arena!"

Kat gave a nod of approval. It had been very strange indeed last year. The arena had been set in the sky and the inside looked just like a hovercraft. As the Games stretched into days, the arena began to fall apart. You never knew when the floor underneath a tribute would fall out from under them or a bomb would blow them clean out of the arena.

"So I would like to talk to some of the District 1 victors. Any chance you could show me to the Victors Village?"

Glimmer nodded her consent. She then proceeded to turn on her heel and, with the other girls on her heels, took off in the opposite direction. Kat took a few quick steps to catch up. "So we've seen a lot of mutts in the Hunger Games. Do you have any particular favorites?"

"Of course I do," Glimmer replied. "My favorite mutts are the Jinx Jackals."

Kat nodded, remembering the mutts. They had been introduced in the first Hunger Games Kat ever watched, the 93rd, and had become a Gamemaker favorite. They appeared to be some sort of cross between a fox and a wild dog, otherwise known as jackals. They seemed innocent enough, but they could grow to about ten times their size and ruthlessly rip apart tributes. They get the jinx part of their name because they come when a tribute is to confident in their good luck, and are commonly known as bad luck even if you get away, which very few do.

"I liked the bird mutt from last year," a dark-haired girl in the group said suddenly. This comment made Glimmer flare up.

"Why? Because they attacked my brother?"

Shimmer had nearly been killed by the bird mutt the Gamemakers had sent out in last year's games. It picked off two tributes in the top eight and when it came down to the top two, it found Shimmer. Kat remembered thinking he was a goner as the bird picked him up and attempted to rip him apart. He did a good job of fighting back but the bird was winning. His skin was covered in deep gashes and his leg was nearly amputated. His eye had been gorged out he couldn't do much screaming in pain because he was spending more time spitting out blood. Just as all hope seemed lost, the other tribute, the 14-year-old from District 6, came to his rescue, shooting down the bird with one quick arrow in its eye. Shimmer proceeded to return the favor by shoving the talon he had ripped from the birds foot during the fight straight through the girl's head when she came to see if he was alright.

The hovercraft had to move quickly to reach him in time, and they still barely saved him. His leg had to be completely taken off and they gave him a new leg and eye. Not to mention they had to stretch what little skin he had left to cover his body and still had to use a skin graphing system. Still they managed to restore him somewhat to his former glory.

Kat listened as Glimmer made wild accusations at the girl who had commented about the bird and that's when Kat realized who the girl looked like. "Were you related to Satin?"

Satin was the female tribute from last year. She had only made it to the final four before she was killed by the boy from District 5 who was then was brutally killed by an enraged Shimmer. She had been a lovely girl as was expected from District 1.

The girl smiled. "Yes. I am her little sister, or was anyways. My name's Velvet." She gave the Capital girl a warm smile and continued. "And I'm gonna avenge my sister in this year's Hunger Games whether Glimmer likes it or not."

"Please you'll die in the bloodbath it you volunteer this year," Glimmer told her. "You're only twelve."

"So will you," Velvet snapped back heatedly. "You're only thirteen!"

"Yes, but I'm smarter than you are!"

"Are not!"

"Am too!"

"What's going on?" They stopped in their tracks as Shimmer spoke. He was standing outside his large home in the Victors Village. His eyes fell on Kat and immediately he was looking at his sister, "What is she doing here?"

"She want to talk to the victors. I was just showing her to the village."

"Why?"

"I'm doing research on the games," Kat told him. "I just want to ask some questions."

He looked from her to his sister. "Glimmer, go do something."

Glimmer huffed. "But Shimmer!"

"I said go!" he ordered and Glimmer fell silent and proceeded to slink away with her followers.

Shimmer turned to Kat. "Come inside," he told her coldly.

Kat obliged and followed him into the house. She took a seat on a soft couch in the living room and he brought her a cup of tea. Kat took it graciously and took a sip as she watched Shimmer take the seat across from her with his own steaming cup.

"So?" He asked her expectantly.

"So, how do you feel about mentoring the fourth Quarter Quell?" Kat asked, taking another sip.

"I feel like I shouldn't have put that talon through Ember Jolt's head," he replied ruefully.

Kat blinked in surprise. "Then you couldn't have come home to your sister."

"Then I would also not wake up every night reliving being torn apart by a bird mutt, or driving a talon through my savior's head, or... or..." he trailed off.

"I understand," Kat said looking shamefully at her feet. "So? I take it you won't be excited if you see the birds again this year?"

Shimmer shivered. "I'll never be happy to see a bird again in my life."

"I understand," Kat replied. "Any ideas on what the arena will be like?"

"Like a place for children to dye," he replied bitterly.

"Thoughts on District 1 tributes you may end up mentoring?"

"As long as my sister doesn't get to go through with her plan I don't care," Shimmer replied.

Kat was growing increasingly uncomfortable. Shimmer seemed so happy and enthusiastic at his interviews with Caeser Flickerman, the official host of the interviews for the Hunger Games. She should have figured it was all an act, what with how easily he had played some of the female tributes in the arena.

"Listen," he said suddenly. "I could care less about answering your questions, but you had better leave my little sister out of this, the less encouragement she has for the games, the better. Thriteen's to young to live the rest of your life haunted or to die."

With that he stood and left with the slam of a door. Kat sat in silence looking at her feet and thinking about what he had said. Everything she had ever worried that the games did to people had turned out to be true, judging by what Shimmer had said.

_"An interview the most recent victor has confirmed my suspicions."_


	4. District 2

**Hello, loyal readers! So, I'm trying to get messages out to all of my SYOT people so they know the story isn't abandoned, but I imagine ou all know how that is turning out with the combined obstacles of my scattered brain, and the sheer amount of people I have with tributes. SOoo, yeah, I'm trying though so I'm hoping eeryone will have foundme again by the time I start posting readings!**

**Enjoy!**

_District 2_

"District___2: Masonary, another well known career district. This District has produced the most victors in the past, although it seems to have reached a stand-still as it has not seen a victor since the 89th Hunger Games, 10 years ago. Perhaps I will meet the District 2 dweller who will bring the glory of the games back to their district."_

With a click of the button the recorder was off. Kat stepped into the train station met by an appropriate amount of cheering. However, the people of District 2 did not welcome her with the same vigor had the people of District 1. There was no excited screams, bouncing children and teens, and even a few adults. No jutting hands hoping she would honor them by brushing up against their hand. Instead she was met by sullen faces that shouted only to please the Capital. Children in the front of the crowd eyeing her skeptically, and keeping their hands firmly by their sides, or raised to their faces.

Kat quickly made it into the streets of the district and looked around at the tall dark buildings that lined the streets. Though, admittedly, not as grand as the buildings of District 1, they still were brilliant to gaze upon. Tall buildings made of bricks painted deep shades of crimson and black. They reached high and came to a sharp point as though they wished to pierce the light blue that strongly contradicted the dark nature they intended to bring upon the district. Kat knew this was only the center of it all. Villages surrounded this part of the District, scattered across the mountain. She also planned to visit some of these, but for today the center would have to do.

"Not as grand as the Capital or District 1 is it?"

Kat gave a start and whipped around to find a girl a few years older than herself. The girl smiled at her, "but it suits my fancy just fine personally."

"It's incredible," Kat told the girl. She allowed her eyes to sweep over this girl. Kat placed her at maybe sixteen, tall and thin. Not lack of nutrition thin like from other districts, but more like fit thin. Long arms that showed muscle if she gave the slightest flex, and long legs as well, that had meat on them, but it defiantly wasn't unused meat. The skin was wrapped tightly around the muscle, which was the only thing there to wrap around, except maybe the bone. The girl had jet black hair that was soaked and pulled back in a messy bun that was all but fallen down all together. None of this was what attracted Kat's attention. The girl stared at her with eyes of the purest amber that seemed to glow.

"There's another Capital here," the girl told her in a sharp voice, as though she had not heard what Kat had said. "Your age, fire colored hair, arrogant attitude, which is very annoying by the way. He's been harassing the younger girls since he got here. You should talk to him, you know Capital-to-Capital." There was an edge to her voice that made Kat suspicious. Her suspicion was confirmed when the girl gave her a look that rang a warning as clear as a bell, if it had to come down to Capital-to-District 2, there would be more than talking.

Kat didn't have to think about who this boy may be. "I'll deal with it," she assured the girl. The District 2 nodded and then was gone as quick as she had come. Kat waited a moment to be sure she had really gone, then kicked a rock in frustration. "Slader!" she growled angrily in a voice not loud enough to be understood, for it was not for the ears of anyone.

She then began in a random direction, occasionally stopping someone to ask if they had seen him. Most nodded with annoyed glares and pointed her in another direction. Eventually, she came upon the street where she found the boy leaned against the black-painted bricks of a wall, talking to a blond girl who looked like she wished to be anywhere else but there. Kat began to stomp over and the noise caught Slader's attention. He look her way and dark brown met dark blue with a deadly clash and everyone on the surrounding streets could sense trouble in that glare. The blond girl took the time to slip off a ways, but hung close enough to watch what was to come with interest.

Kat reached Slader and took a firm hold on the collar of his black shirt, dragging him into the nearest alley, ignoring his chocked protests. Once in the alley, she turned him around to face her and shoved him roughly into the wall. "I'm not here five minutes and the first thing I hear is that you've been harassing the girls of the District all day," she snapped at him.

"Calm down, Lina, I-"

"Do not call me _Lina," s_he snarled giving him a firm kick to the shin for emphasis.

Slader bit his lip in an obvious attempt not to cry out. "I wasn't harassing anyone," he told her, reaching down absently to give his shin a tender rub. "I was only talking to them."

"Whatever, Slader, I know you," she replied with a huff. Then suddenly a thought struck her. "What are you even doing here?"

Slader looked grim. "President Snow was debating on whether or not to send company with you so you don't get lonely. Apparently 'I agree she may need company' is the equivalent to 'I'll go keep her company'." He crossed his arms to emphasize his distaste and added, "I was dragged here against my will."

Kat huffed again. "Come on, if your gonna be here I'm not gonna let you go around ticking off locals. You do remember which District we're in don't you? District 2, producing some of some of the most deadly and insane tributes in the Games?"

Slader rolled his eyes at her. "They won't do anything to me. I'm to important. They would get into to much trouble."

"It wouldn't stop me," Kat grumbled. "Come on, I wanna get started on interviews."

She turned on her heel and stalked away. Slader waited a moment, then reluctantly followed after her. "So where are we going?"

"I wanna go meet the Mayor," Kat told him.

Slader grinned. "Excellent, I heard the Mayor's daughter is a sight for sour eyes," he said, rubbing his hands together excitedly.

Kat paused long enough to smack the back of his head. "No, Slader."

"What?" Slader whined, rubbing his head sorely. "I was only joking!"

"Whatever."

"I was!"

Within five minutes, which was filled with arguing, they reached the Mayor's home. It was a broad brick building painted to match its surroundings. The top was flat unlike the rest and door seemed to be made of thick steel. Slader raised his eyebrows at the sight. Kat shrugged and rang the doorbell. In a matter of moments the door swung open and Kat gave a start as she met amber eyes.

The girl she had met at her arrival stood staring down at her. The girl gave an annoyed glance at Slader, who was gaping at her, looking as surprised as Kat felt. "Hello," the girl greeted sorely.

Kat gave herself a shake and put on a smile. "Hello, your the girl who told me about him," she jerked her head at Slader, still staring open mouthed. "I don't believe I properly introduced myself, I'm-"

"Katalina Snow. Great-Granddaughter of President Snow, Capital's Sweetheart. Yeah, I know who you are. I'm Brigid, Daughter of District 2's Mayor. Who's he?" She nodded towards Slader.

"That's Slader Gorge, Son of the Head Gamemaker. President Snow sent him here to keep me company," Kat told her bitterly.

The girl nodded, "Are you here to talk to my father, then?"

"Yes actually," Kat nodded.

"Follow me, then," Brigid told her gesturing for them to follow as she turned to walk deeper into the home. Kat followed and Slader took a few quick steps to catch up.

"Her eyes," he whispered in Kat's ear.

Kat elbowed him and jerked her head in the girl's direction, telling him not to talk about it around her. A bark of amused laughter came from ahead of them. Brigid turned around to look at them. "What about my eyes?" She asked. "I know they're odd for district people but I figured a Capital kid would find them normal."

Slader looked taken aback, "Nobody in the Capital has eyes like that."

"Really?" she asked. "Of all the things you do to your eyes you don't have amber?"

"No," Slader grumbled.

"Odd," Brigid mused.

They came to a door and Brigid paused and gave it three sharp knocks. There was a pause then, "What, Brigid?"

"Kat Snow is here to talk to you."

There was the sound of fumbling on the other side of the door, then the door swung open. A tall muscular man with nearly black eyes was standing in the doorway. His eyes looked down and give a spark as they fall on Kat. "Well, well, what do ya know?" he said cheerfully in a gruff voice. "It really is you. I thought my daughter was playing tricks on me."

Kat smiled reassuring. "No I'm really here."

"Well, come on in. Brigid why don't you go down to the kitchen and get some snacks and drinks for our guests?" Brigid nodded and turned to head in another direction. The mayor lead them into the room, a high-ceilinged room with a slightly rounded off shape to it. The room was a dark brown color, which didn't help the fact that the lights were dim and only one window shone light into the room. Pictures of Hunger Games victors lined the walls, more than Kat cared to count. She found one of Enobaria right after her famous act of ripping out a tribute's throat. She was hunched over the body on her hands and knees, her teeth bared and stained red while the content of the throat still stuck out from between her teeth. Her eyes had a crazed look to them and blood was trickling down her chin and dripping down to fall upon the dead tribute. Kat almost lost the content of her stomach, as though she had suddenly been forced to down a glass of Reflux.(1)

Quickly composing herself, Kat managed to get out, "District 1 didn't have pictures of there victors. It's interesting." Well it wasn't a lie at least.

"Yes," the man said, nodding thoughtfully. "We like to remember those who bring us honor. I wish someone would allow me to put a new face on the wall by winning," he added bitterly.

Kat nodded while Slader looked sick, his eyes trying to avoid looking at Enobaria's photo. However, it wasn't the only gruesome picture there. "It must be difficult not having a victor in ten years. District 2 was very famous for its number of Victors in the past, or so I've heard anyways."

"Yes we were, indeed," he nodded.

Kat reached into her pocket and silently clicked on her recorder. "So how long have you been in charge of the District?"

"Oh, its been a while," he said, "Twenty-five years to be exact. My first year in charge was the year of the third Quarter Quell."

"Are you excited to see a second?" she wondered.

"Of course," the mayor told her. "I can't wait to see the twist they add to this year."

Kat was preparing to ask another question, when the door swung open unannounced. This startled Kat, she had expected an interrupter to knock as Brigid had. She half-expected the intruder to be Brigid herself, sporting a tray of food and cups of hot tea. The girl who came in was certainly not Brigid, however. Brigid had been tall and muscular, but otherwise a rather plain look to her. This girl was the complete opposite. She didn't even appear to be a District 2 girl. When Kat laid eyes upon her, she was immediately reminded of District 1. She was a small girl, with darkly tanned skin and nearly black eyes that swept the room in a manner that seemed to imply that she owned everything in it. Her hair was blacker than pitch dark and was in a bundle of tight curls, each immaculately placed and hardly daring to bounce out of its assigned spot. She swept in grandly, her deep red dress flowing around her in an elegant wave.

"Father," she said, her chin up. She held herself in a manner that suggested she thought she was the most important person in the world and she expected to be treated so. "I heard Kat Snow was here!" Her dark eyes fell on the Capital girl and then on her companion. "And the son of the Head Gamemaker!" She swept across the room and sat across from the boy. "Oh you must tell me what your father plans for this year's arena!"

"Lalita-"

"Father, can't you see I'm trying to talk?" the girl asked in a commanding voice that caused her father to go silent. "Well?" she said expectantly, looking at Slader.

Slader rubbed the back of his head uncomfortably. "My dad doesn't talk to me about the before game preparations," he admitted.

"He's not allowed to," Kat added.

Lalita's dark eyes drifted to her then, "Do you know anything, then?"

"No," Kat told her.

"Well that stinks. What are you two doing here?"

"Interviews," Kat replied quietly, running a finger lightly over the recorder and considering turning it off.

"Oh! Interview me!" she exclaimed excitedly.

Kat looked sideways at Slader who shrugged. "Alright then."

_~One week later~_

"Slader!" Kat shouted sharply. Slader, who had been leaned against a wall flirting with the one girl who didn't seem annoyed about it. They had left the central part of the district and were exploring the surrounding villages. Kat, who had been interviewing an older, broad-shouldered boy, was ready to move on down the street and found herself annoyed at his messing around.

He took his time coming over, much to Kat's frustration, and when he finally reached her, he asked, "So where we are going next?"

"I don't know," Kat told him. "Just going until we find someone interesting, I guess."

Slader rolled his eyes. "You haven't even asked the most important people yet, Snow," he told her.

"Really and who would they be? I've interviewed the Mayor and his daughters, I've interviewed the victors-"

"But what about the families of the people who lost relatives in the games?"

Kat paused and looked at him thoughtfully. "I suppose you have a point," Kat said. "But how are we supposed to find families of the fallen?"

"Look," Slader replied matter-of-factly. He then stopped a passerby. "Excuse me, do you know where any family members of fallen Hunger games participants are?"

The man looked at him thoughtfully for moment, "Yes, actually, my neighbor is the twin sister of Clove, from the 74th Hunger Games, why?"

"We were just curious, thanks for your time," Slader thanked him and the man moved on without a second glance. "See?" He asked looking at Kat victoriously.

Kat gave an annoyed glare. "Slader."

"What," he whined, upset that she didn't seem to have excepted his idea.

"You didn't ask for directions to the house," she told him. Slader frowned then blushed a crimson color.

"Oh."

Kat rolled her eyes at him. "Come on," she said, gabbing his arm and dragging him off. After much time spent asking around, they finally found the home they needed, Kat tapped the wooden door with her knuckles a few times and the door quickly swung open.

"Cane, you're," she paused and frowned at her visitors, "...not...Cane."

"Um, hello," Kat said brightly, "I'm Kat Snow and this is my...uh...company," she still hadn't figured out how to refer to Slader since he definitely was not her friend, "Slader Gorge."

"Kat Snow?" the woman raised an eyebrow at the two. "As in the President's Great-Granddaughter, Kat Snow?"

"Yes that's me. If you don't mind, I'm performing interviews her in the District and I would like to hear from the family member of a...um... fallen-"

"You want to interview me about my sister's Games?"

"Yes," she replied dropping her voice.

The woman stepped aside and let them in, calling for someone to bring something to drink. She led them into the living room and they took a seat. "So, what's your name then?"

"Clara," the woman told them.

"I heard your relation to Clove was that you were twins. Is that true?"

"Yes, I was her twin sister."

"So, had your sister always wanted to participate in the Hunger Games?"

She nodded slowly, then laughed at an untold joke, "Oh you should have seen her when we were little. She decided to throw knives after she was a District 9 boy, of all people, doing it. Our mother had to lock the knives away so she wouldn't get her hands on them and hurt someone." Another laugh. "She used to bet Cato that she could kill someone faster with her knives than he could with his sword."

"She knew Cato as a kid?" Kat wondered.

"Sure," Clara replied. "They used to train together, I mean, uh, dream about the games together." Clara blushed as she realized she had said to much.

Kat pretended she hadn't noticed. "How did you feel when she volunteered that year."

"I was scared for her, I guess, deep down," the laugh she gave this time was dry. "But you should have seen her. She was so sure of herself. So confident she would win. You couldn't help but believe her. I always figured if she didn't come back it would be because it came down to her and Cato. Cato was always so much stronger than her." Her eye were turning glassy with tears. "Then they announced that two tributes from the same District could win. I was so happy. Her only threat was no longer a threat." She glared angrily at the wall. "I should have given the boy from District 11 more thought. Mother always told her not to play with her food, why couldn't she have just stabbed the District 12 girl and been done? Then Thresh would have left her alone, she may have even been able to kill him, too." Tears were streaming down her face. She sniffled. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Kat said.

"It just isn't fair, you know?" Clara said. "She was supposed to come home. Seeing her head bashed in with the rock, it was the most terrible thing I've ever watched."

"At least your sister wasn't mutilated by mutts all night, until the District 12 girl finally took pity," came a sore voice. Clara looked to the door as did the two Capitals. In the doorway was a new woman with sandy blond hair leaning against the door frame. Kat's breath caught, she looked like a female version of Cato. "My brother suffered. Your sister had a quick death. It was merciful enough."

"I know, but it still hurts."

"It always does," the new woman told her.


	5. District 3

**So, you won't be receiving an update tomorrow, because I'm going to be at a Marching Competition from really early to really late. So, yeah...**

_District 3_

"Distirct_3: Technology. District 3 is not a very powerful district in the games. They rarely show victors, almost as few as District 12. District 3's last victor was 12 years ago, and their are only three still living today. Besides being one of the least victor-seeing Districts, it is also known as being the smartest district."_

Only a few residents had made it to the train station this time and they didn't make much noise of greeting. It took no time to get into the the streets of the District. Tall, gray buildings lined the streets. Kat saw the perfect opportunity to ditch her frustrating company. She quickly turned a corner while the fire-haired boy eyed a passing girl around their age. She slipped into an alley and ducked behind a large dumpster. Slader walked in front of the opening, looked at a passing girl, and turned to follow after her. Kat sighed in relief and slipped out and down the street before he could see her.

Kat peered curiously around, recent rains had left the sky cloudy and made the whole district look gray and cold. Kat wondered if it didn't always look like this, the people sure made it seem so. As she passed through the town square she noticed a marketer selling fresh fruit. She silently wondered where he had gotten it. She was under the impression there was no fresh fruit in District 3. She didn't get to ponder this question long, however, for she suddenly became aware of a figure creeping up behind the stand owner. It was a scrawny girl with a rustic braid, creeping silently up on the man who was turned talking to a customer. The girl's dull olive eyes were flitting suspiciously around to be sure she wasn't seen. Kat quickly shifted her gaze so she could watch the girl out of the corner of her eyes, but not be suspicious. She saw the girl quickly slip a few apples into a loose satchel.

Kat began to stroll forward slowly and watched as the strange girl whirled around and silently, nimbly avoiding slashing puddles that would surely give her away, slipped off. Kat quickened her pace and followed her. The girl quickly noticed her and began a jog. When Kat quickened her step, the girl took off in a full blown run, no longer bothering to avoid puddles, and splashing mud and water high in her wake. Kat zipped after her. Kat was fast but so was this girl, and Kat quickly discovered that she also had much more stamina built up. After a few blocks Kat's chest began to burn and her muscles ached. She slowed while the girl kept a steady pace. The girl seemed to notice and decided to take advantage of Kat's slowing pace. She suddenly changed directions, taking such a sharp turn that she had to grab hold of the side of the building to keep from slipping in the slick mud and falling on her hind end.

Kat growled in frustration and forced her sore muscles to carry her faster. She turned the corner and found an empty alley way. The district girl who had stolen the fruit was nowhere to be seen. Kat refrained from kicking up the mud in vexation, since her shoes were already soaked. She was about to turn and go, when the hair on the back of her neck began to stand up. She was being watched. The girl must be in the alley, hiding. Kat slowly began a trek down the alley, trying to watch everywhere at once to find the girl. She made it all the way to the end and come out to the that alley circled around the back of the building and up another alley.

Kat was suddenly struck by an idea. She slowly made her way back to the front of the alley and turned the way she had come. She stopped and waited, no sound drifted to her from the alley, but Kat honestly didn't expect any. She stuck her head around the corner to look and she grinned when she just saw the tip of a rustic braid.

With sly grin she zipped across the sidewalk and stopped just short of turning the corner into the next alley. She didn't hear any footsteps, she didn't expect to, but she Just caught sight of the girl as she flew from the alley and made to turn in her direction. Kat stuck her foot out and the girl promptly fell to her face in the mud. Her black fedora flew from atop her head and splashed in a puddle not far off. Her black skinny jeans and leather jacket her spattered with muddy water and her hands became thick with it. She pulled her face out of the mud, spitting out more profanities than mud, then whipped around to face her attacker. Kat just raised her eyebrow.

"You know stealing is illegal and punishable by death," Kat told her. The girl spat at her feet in response. Kat didn't move except to cross her arms.

"What are you gonna do about it, Capitol?" the girl snarled in a low voice. Her dull olive eyes locked with Kat's and she crinkled her pointed nose. Kat took in the girl's angular features thoughtfully.

"What's your name?"

The girl didn't respond or even flinch, she only glared hatred. Kat moved to reach out a helping hand and found it nearly meeting with a steel blade. She yelped in surprised and jerked her hand back just in time. The girl had pulled the dagger from one of her combat boots and only flashed it as a warning. The glint of the steel was there and gone so fast that Kat couldn't even honestly be sure if she had truly seen it. The girl was up in a flash. She skidded to a halt not far off to scoop up her fallen hat, then was gone in another blink. Kat stood in wonderment at first, then huffed and slumped down on the sidewalk, no longer caring if mud got on her bright skinny jeans.

"Don't feel bad, Kid," someone said soothingly. Kat jumped and looked over to see a small boy with scraggly black hair standing a way off grinning at her. "Most people don't even get that much out of her."

Kat frowned at him. "Do you know her?"

The boy shrugged nonchalantly and replied, "Sort of." Kat raised a wondering eyebrow. "We go to school together, she's a year behind me. She's very," he paused to find a word. "Smart, she would be a brilliant addition to the drama club as well, but that's not really how she prefers to use her talents."

Kat shook her head. "She sounds fun, what her name?"

"Arell," he replied absently. He then seemed to realize something and quickly added, "But she likes people to call her Nimbus. Otherwise she can get kind of..." He trailed off, but he didn't really have to finish. Kat could guess how she got judging by her behavior from the events just before.

"So who are you?" she asked the boy.

"Oh, I'm Teddy," he told her.

"I like that name," Kat said thoughtfully. She then stood and held out her hand, "I'm Kat-"

"Snow, yeah, I know," he told her excepting her hand.

Kat sighed sadly. "Everyone does." Absently she realized he was around her height when she stood next to him.

"Well, you are famous, you know," he told her reasonably.

Kat laughed heartily and said, "I guess I am, aren't I?"

Teddy laughed back. "So what are you doing here in 3, anyhow? I didn't think this place would be a popular tour stop for a Capitol." His blue, mistakenly violet eyes shone, with pure curiosity, not bitterness.

"I'm performing interviews," Kat told him with a giggle. "Would you like to help me?"

Teddy shrugged, "Sure."

_~District 3 elsewhere~_

"I can not believe this," Slader grumbled bitterly, kicking a helpless rock which skidded across the sidewalk. "She just ditched me, how could she do that!" His outrage was beginning to attract the attention of locals. He felt his face burn and knew it was turning crimson. Luckily, a black-laden girl came bolting through the street and successfully distracted their wondering eyes. Slader took this time to slip into an alley where he hoped he would be undisturbed.

There he kicked over a garbage can, which fell to spew its rotting contents over the ground. A yelp filled the air and a skeletal dog skidded off. Slader didn't pay it much mind, though, He was much more concerned with the throbbing in his toe that reminded him why kicking the trashcan had been a bad idea.

"What did I ever do to you, anyway?" Slader growled to the air.

"Well, for one you spilled my food everywhere," a calm voice broke the air making Slader nearly leap from his own skin. He whirled around to see a frail boy standing a distance off, peering curiously at him with sunken eyes. His gaunt face made Slader's stomach turn, reminding him that he was a monster in the eyes of these people because he was allowed three filling meals a day and more. Shaggy, unwashed blond hair hung in his eyes without concern and his cloths hung limply from his form. In his hand, he clutched a piece of bread as though it were a lifeline. A life line that had a fuzzy, greenish-blue substance growing on it.

"Don't eat that!" Slader said, finally finding his voice again when the boy made to raise the ruined bread to his mouth.

The boy paused. "Why not?"

"Because its molded!" Slader exclaimed as though it should be obvious. Well, it should be.

Much to Slader's surprise, the boy chuckled at him. "Capitol," he said. "So what do you suggest I eat? I have no money to pay for fresh bakery bread. Mr. Gawl sets a high price."

Slader blinked, then removed a bag of food from the brown messenger bag slung over his shoulder. It was Kat's, but at the moment he didn't really care. She had ditched him. "Here, eat this." He flung the bag to the boy who caught it and pulled it open. He looked up at Slader in wonder.

"Are-are you serious?" He asked, scrutinizing(1) him suspiciously.

"Well if I wasn't then I can't change my mind now, can I?" Slader answered.

"Well, you could run to the Peacekeepers the moment you leave and tell them I'm a thief. I'm not, by the way, that's for smart people, like Nimbus."

"Who's Nimbus? Wait, never mind. I don't wanna know. Anyways, I'm Slader. Who are you."

The thin boy eyed him suspiciously as though not sure if he should share this information, then replied, "Jaxton. My name is Jaxton."

"Well Jaxton I-" Slader paused with surprise as he watched Jaxton yank open the bag, shove a small piece of fresh bread in his mouth then yank it shut again and tie it to his belt loop. "Aren't you going to eat that?"

Jaxton gave a dry laugh. "My brother doesn't know the meaning of the word 'full', my little sister doesn't even know that's a state your stomach can be in, and my baby sister is young enough that she should still have baby fat, and yet you can still count her ribs. What kind of big brother would I be if I denied them something so precious as food? No, Capitol, I'm not going to eat it, I'm going to take it home to my starving family. To, my parents, who have done nothing but work their hides off to provide you people with electricity and all they want in return is to put food in front of their children, yet all they get is slowly starving babies and a thirteen-year-old son sent off to your precious Capitol to die!" The boy stopped abruptly seeming to realize he'd said to much. He whipped around to try and escape, but Slader had already put two-and-two together.

"Braxton!"

Jaxton screeched to a halt and slowly turned, "What did you just say?"

"Braxton," Slader responded, snapping his fingers. "You're related to Braxton Jutts, District 3's male tribute from last year's games. I should have known! You look just like him!"

The boy gave a dry laugh. "You know for a Capitol, you sure remember odd tributes. My brother didn't even make past the first day. He died in the bloodbath, I thought those tributes were forgotten in the Capitol."

Slader laughed, too. "Not by me, I could name all of last year's tributes. I keep up with that stuff."

"Why?"

"I would be an awfully cold-blooded person if I forgot the lives we took, wouldn't I?"

"The rest of the Capitols doesn't seem to have a problem with it," Jaxton grumbled.

"Well, I'm not the rest of the Capitols, am I?" Slader crossed his arms and gave the boy a glare.

"Yeah, but you are the son of the Headgamemaker. I would think you would be the worst," Jaxton replied.

"That's just-" Slader cut himself off. "Look think of me how you want. It really doesn't matter." He then pulled out another bag of food that was his own. "I'm gonna be in town for two weeks. Meet me hear everyday around noon and I'll have food for you and your family."

"Why would you do that?" Jaxton asked in amazement as the Capitol boy tossed him the bag of food.

"Call it payment for your brother's life," Slader replied, then slipped off.

He was still thinking of the boy from the alley as he strode absently down the street. This, however, resulted in him walking strait into someone. He stumbled back a few steps to prevent himself from hitting the ground, then looked to see who he had hit. His eyes widened as he spotted cat ears. Blue eyes locked on him and he winced at the intensity of them. "What are you doing?" Kat snapped at him.

Slader frowned at the girl, "What do you mean, what am I doing? I was looking for you! You know, since you ditched me and all."

"I didn't ditch you! You just fell behind!"

"'Fell behind' my butt!" Slader snapped back at her, throwing his arms into the air.

"Don't get smart with me!" she snarled baring her teeth. One of her fuzzy cat ears gave and irritable twitch and Slader gave an involuntary smirk. "What are you smirking about!"

"Nothing!" Slader replied raising his hands innocently.

Kat grumbled and turned on her heel. "Come on," she called back to him, "and try not to fall behind again."

Slader might have grumbled that he had not fallen behind, but he was to busy holding back a snigger as he watched Kat's tail give a flick, then swung slowly in her wake. Slader silently wondered if she knew when her tail and ears moved, or if it was subconscious. Then, because he's Slader, "Hey, Kat! I have a question!"

_District 3: Next Day_

Kat stomped along, trying to block out the voice of the obnoxious boy trailing behind her. He was trying to be cute! Cute, of all things. He thought he could just make fun of her cat features, which she already hated, and just make up for it by being _cute! _No. He couldn't. They weren't even on speaking terms anymore. She was going to completely block him out the rest of the trip. _Cute! He's trying to be cute!_

She stopped in front of a dark green door and rapped it with her knuckles. It swung open and in it stood the District three victor, Beetee. Beetee was a small old man with round wire-rimmed glasses that he peered over to look down at her. He had lost most of his hair and what was left was wispy and covered very little of his head. He smiled warmly at the sight of Kat. Kat smiled back, Beetee was one of her favorite victors. He was very kind and showed her lots of tricks when he came to the Capitol.

Kat peered past him at the two women in the house. The older woman was Wiress, with thinning gray hair and pale eyes. Wiress wasn't exactly all there but she was nice to have around. The other woman was far younger than Wiress and Beetee. She had thick, coal-black hair and nearly black eyes that shined kindly. She was a tall woman, a good head taller than her fellow victors from three. This was Wrenetta Harp, the winner of the 88th Hunger Games.

Wrenetta was a victor that Kat didn't have to watch to know all about. She was famous. She had won her games by combining strategies of past Hunger Games participants. Like during the pre-games events, she pretended to be a crying weakling who had no idea what she was doing, like Johanna Mason, a District 7 Victor. Then once in the arena, she used her knowledge of electricity and traps, which she learned with the help of her mentor, Beetee. She used the strategy of the District 5 girl from the 74th Hunger Games, Ginger Carnes(2) and stayed close to the cornucopia, and moving in to steal supplies whenever she saw a chance. She used the strategy of Katniss Everdeen, also from the 74th Hunger Games who blew up the Careers' supplies, and the strategy of the District 3 girl from the 75th games, where she used a tree as a lightning rod to take down the Careers, and turned the whole Cornicopia into a lightning rod. With the help of carefully placed flammables, the sparks of the electricity hitting steel lit the whole pile of supplies aflame. When it was over the only thing left of the supplies was ashes.

More traps followed this and they took out most of the remaining Careers and a few more of her other, lesser, opponents. In the end it came down her and the girl from District Eleven. She managed to give her a severe wound, but then the girl managed to make it up a tree. Wrenetta couldn't climb, but the sky quickly grew cloudy and the bottom fell out, leaving the bleeding girl in the tree soaking to the skin, while Wrenetta took shelter under a clump of bushes and her coat, which kept her considerably dry, and glad that she had not gone up the tree. Lightning would certainly take down her opponent. After hours of waiting in the down pour, Wrenetta began to give up hope and the girl in the tree began to realize how bad of an idea being up there really was. Luckily the Capitol had grown bored with the stadstill and the girl had lost far to much blood anyhow, so the Gamemakers made the final death excitable by striking the tree with white hot electricity that fried the girl to a crisp and all that was sent home to her family was her ashes.

Kat shivered. Wrenetta was smart and funny and sweet all around, but, deep inside of her, Kat knew she had to be hiding an insane woman. "Well, if it isn't Kat Snow! How is the Capitol's Sweetheart?"

Kat smiled at the man brightly, "Oh, much better than the twelve-year-olds from the Districts, I suppose."

"Yes, I can agree with that," Wrenetta nodded. "It's an awful year to be turning twelve. Bet your glad your not a District kid."

Kat nodded as a smile crept across her face, remembering her own brilliant plan. "Definitely never been so glad to live in the Capitol."

"Why don't you two come in? We've got warm cookies and milk to go with it," Beetee offered, stepping aside to let them in. As they entered, Kat was nearly knocked to her feet. Beetee chuckled and Slader caught Kat before she could fall flat on her backside, and Kat jerked away from him and straitened her jacket, glaring daggers at the boy.

"Allena!" Wiress scolded. "You should..." she woman trailed off and then seemed confused, as though wondering what she had meant to say.

"Apologize to our guests and stop running in the house," Beetee finished for the woman.

The girl who had nearly knocked Kat to her feet paused to cock a curious head a Kat. She recognized her, of course. Allena had been to the Capitol a couple times with Wiress and Beetee. The Capitol adored the small girl nearly as much as Kat herself, and who wouldn't. Allena had a very remarkable story. Her mother and father had met after a blow out at a light shop, that lit the building to flame and killed nine people, including both of their parents. At sixteen her mother became pregnant and a week before her birth, her father was reaped for the Hunger Games. He lost, of course, then two years later, her mother was reaped as well, at he age of eighteen. After losing both of her parents to the Hunger Games, and with no other family to take care of her, Allena was sentenced to be sent to a group home. Beetee, who admitted to feeling guilty about getting neither of the poor girl's parents out alive, immediately stepped forward to adopt. Wiress agreed to help him raise her and they had done a fine job, in Kat's eyes.

Allena was a very quick-witted ten-year-old with hair as black as the coal mined in District 12 and eyes that were such a grey that it seemed someone had burned coal in her head and they showed what was left of it. She had shown Kat how to set a trap that could, not only string a victim by their foot, but also cause them to hit their head on a carefully placed rock, which could dent their skill and cause death. Everyone knew Allena could set elaborate traps, but it was to be expected, since she was raised by Beetee, who won his games with his traps. Besides her knowledge in traps, Allena was also very good at puzzles, which she picked up from Wiress. Kat had seen her work out some puzzles faster than Wiress herself.

Allena blinked away her surprise and spoke. "I am deeply sorrowed that my unintentional physical contact has caused a sense of rudeness from me to enter your psychological consciousness."

She looked dead serious at Kat then both of the girls' faces split into wide grins and they were laughing hysterically. "What was that," Kat managed through her laughter.

"I don't know," Allena replied through her own. "I was just saying things that sounded kind of smart."

It took at least five minutes for the two to regain themselves and wipe away the tears that were rolling down their faces. Kat rubbed her side, which was sour from laughing, and said, "Listen I'm interviewing locals and I was curious if any of you would be willing to answer some questions."

"Sounds fun," Allena told her only half paying any attention. "Well I'm off, bye!" Before anyone could protest she disappeared through a door. Kat raised a quizzical eyebrow at Beetee, who shrugged.

An hour later, after interviewing each of the three victors, Kat's curiosity overwhelmed her and she excused herself. She quickly found the door Allena had disappeared through and slipped through it herself. Silently, she made her way down the stairs and when she reached the bottom, she couldn't hold back the gasp that escaped her lips. It was a large empty basement room, with concrete walls and creaking lamps swinging from the ceiling. On the wall to the left was a large red and white target and on the wall across from her was a clock, ticking away seconds. Pushed up against the wall underneath it, was a wooden work bench which Allena was standing in front of, with a small curved knife clutched in her hand. She was staring at the clock with a cocked head, as though waiting for something, and mumbling under her breath.

"What are you doing?" Kat asked, making the District 3 girl jump and turn to stare at her. Once realizing it was the pink-haired girl she relaxed and put the blade between her fingers.

"They were my mother's weapon of choice, where they not? Knives," she released it in quick motion and it just missed the bull's eye. She seemed disappointed by the lack of success and turned to face Kat.

"Wiress didn't even use weapons in her games," Kat told her eyeing the knife uncertainly.

Allena gave a dry bark of laughter. "Not Wiress, my birth mother. Ameralla."

"Yes, she did," Kat nodded," and her confidence with them got her killed."

"She over-estimated her ability!" Allena snapped. "We all do it, even you."

Kat opened her mouth to argue, then closed it. "What were you saying?" She questioned when she finally found her voice again.

"When?" Allena asked.

"Earlier, when I came in."

Another sharp bark of amusement. "Tick tock, this is a clock." Allena looked to her for a reaction, then went on, "Its what Wiress says whenever something comes up about the 75th arena-"

"The clock," Kat breathed remembering it.

Allena grinned and that was when Kat noticed that she was circling her. "Exactly, but I think it's a pretty good fit to describe out country as well. We're a clock, every second that passes by, is another second closer to when the clock will stop," Kat listened intently as the younger girl crossed the room again to her work bench, "And when the Capitol will run out of time and..." she paused for a moment leaving Kat to hang tightly to her last word. Then a smile split her face in half, and she placed a finger delicately on a glass figurine of the Capitol building, where Kat and her family live. "Falls," she gave the figurine a push and it fell to the floor, and shattered into countless little pieces that flew across the room in every direction. Allena then burst into a maniacal cackle that rang in Kat's ears and bounced around her head.

"Allena, I love you, but sometimes I think you're halfway to insanity," Kat told her friend.

Allena cut her laughter short and gave her such a serious look that Kat flinched under it. "Maybe I am, but insanity would be much better if it were complete, only being half insane just stinks."

With another cackle she was up the stairs leaving Kat to stand their looking confused. "What?"

_~One Week Later: District 3~_

"Does it look like its close to noon to you?" Slader wondered, squinting up at the dull sun.

"I don't know," Kat replied ringing the door bell of the house they had approached a few minutes before. "Why do you care?"

Slader shrugged. "Just curious."

"You know, its really suspicious when you disappear at the same time every day," Kat told her companion.

Slader looked at her and grinned. "Okay, then I'll disappear at two."

Kat rolled her eyes, "Dork."

"Hey! Name calling is rude!" Slader scolded.

"Whatever." Kat reached out and rang the doorbell again.

"Maybe no ones home," Slader suggested, taking up following the footsteps he left in the soft mud around in an endless circle.

"That's ridiculous, I see lights on," Kat told him.

"We leave those on to keep thieves out of the house," a voice spoke from behind. The two Capitols whipped around to see two girls, twins by the looks of them, standing at the end of the walkway. Both had short, choppy blond hair that lay in loose curls around their faces and both had plain, dull blue eyes that were searching their visitors. "Besides, the doorbell doesn't work anymore."

"Oh," Kat said scratching her head in embarrassment.

"So what are you doing here?" the girl to the right asked. She was taking in their unusual Capitol appearances. "Are you Capitols?"

"Yes," Slader replied. "Can't you tell," he asked gesturing at Kat's ears. Kat glared at him, still mad about him making fun of her cat features the week before.

"It's hard to tell, you don't dress _as _extreme as the other Capitols, but you have...quirks." Kat saw the girl glance in her direction.

"I think your outfit is so cool!" the other girl cried happily rushing forward. She stood about a head shorter than Kat, and immediately placed a hand on the cool leather of her hot pink jacket. "So cool! What are these?" Then the girl was staring fascinated at the elastic, neon green suspenders that hung from the waistband of Kat's checker print skirt.

Kat was about to open her mouth the answer, when she was cut off by a calm yet menacing snarl, "Well look who just doesn't know when to quit."

Kat looked up to see a scrawny girl approaching. A scrawny girl with curly hair in a generic rustic braid, who's olive eyes were glaring her down angrily. "You!" Kat gasped recognizing the girl.

She plopped her black fedora back on her head and tugged off her tight, black leather jacket revealing her night colored tank top. "You're just dying to get your ass kicked aren't you?"

"You act like I'm stalking you or something!" Kat shouted, throwing her arms up, ready to defend.

"Lynn, get away from them, now!" Arell snapped at the blond girl, who yelped and jumped away from them as though they were diseased.

"Why?"

"That's Katalina Snow," Arell told them as though he answer should be obvious.

"Really?" The other girl questioned disbelievingly.

"What did I ever do to you?"

"To many things to count," the girl responded.

"Name one thing!"

"Well, let's start with you chasing me down and throwing me into the mud!"

"Okay besides that!" Kat snapped.

"You said one thing!"

"You did say one thing," Slader pointed out. Kat shot him a death glare that clearly told him to shut it.

"Well now I'm asking for another!"

"Fine, how about every time you get out in the Capitol and pretend to be the perfect Capitol girl, when in reality you're everything but! You don't believe in half of the things President Snow has done to this country and you have the power to stop it and yet all you do is sit back and watch innocent people die!"

"Ouch," came another comment from Slader.

"Is this about the Hunger Games? Because I couldn't stop that if I bugged Grandpa Snow everyday for the rest of his life!" Kat shouted defensively.

Arell looked ready to take her head off, "No! This has nothing to do with the Hunger Games! Why don't you leave!"

"No! Not until you tell me what you want me to change!" Kat shouted, planting her feet to the spot.

"I said go!" Arell's voice was low now and she shoved Kat, who stumbled back.

"Don't push me or I'll-"

"You'll what!"

"Oh, cat fight!"(3)Slader said excitedly.

"Shut the hell up, Slader!" Kat snarled at him.

"Hey! Don't talk to _me _like that! She's the one who pushed you."

"I can take you on easy, so long as you keep those knives out of it!" Kat told her lowly.

A gasp escaped the twins, standing off to the side watching with nearly as much interest a Slader. The boy looked worried as his eyes searched for a sign of the weapons.

"Nimbus! You have knives!" Lynn asked in a panic.

"No!"

"Oh, you'll be killed if the Peacekeepers find out!" the second twin exclaimed.

"They won't, Rosie!" Arell shouted. "Will they?" She added turning to glare pointedly at Kat.

"Not even if they threatened to throw me in this year's arena," Kat replied. "Come on, Slader! I'm sick of dealing with this girl. We're leaving!"


	6. District 4

_District 4_

"District_4: Fishing. The last well-known career district, their last victor was in the 95th Hunger Games."_

"District 4's girls are nearly as amazing as District 1's," Slader exclaimed excitedly, standing on his toes to look out of the small window as the crowd gathered in the District 4 train station.

Kat rolled her eyes at him. "You do realize a District girl will have no interest what so ever in Capitol boy, right?"

"I can change their minds," Slader replied, grinning arrogantly.

Kat sent her eyes to the back of her head again, then stepped forward and slid her foot around his ankles, proceeding to pull the boys feet right out from under him. He gave a startled cry as she fell hard on his back side. He groaned and rubbed it gingerly as he slowly made his way back to his feet, all the while glaring daggers at her. "And we can call that revenge for what you did in 3."

"Oh, you're still sour about that!" Slader whined, throwing his head back and scrunching his face up in a displeased manner.

"It's your fault," Kat replied with a grin. "Now try not to fall behind, will ya?"

"I most certainly did not-" his rant was cut short as the door to the train opened and they were met with roar of approval from the large crowd gathered in the station. Kat hadn't expected this form of welcome from District 4, but she welcomed it with her well practiced, fake excitement. Slader followed close behind her through the station, reveling in the attention. Typical.

As Kat was busy keeping up her charade and restraining from slapping Slader, who was acting like child in a candy store, she didn't notice at first, when a small white haired girl broke from the crowd and rushed toward her. In fact, it wasn't until the girl had stopped her in her tracks and was pressing something into her hands that she realized she was there. She was may six or seven and she was shouting something to her district's guest over the noise. "Please! Give this back to me next time you see me! Please!" Then a white-clothed Peacekeeper grabbed her around the waist and dragged her off, apologizing to the Capitol girl.

Kat spent the rest of her trip through the station puzzled, and trying to find since in the odd request the girl had made. Why not just keep it is she wanted the thing back? What had she given her anyways? It was then that Kat realized she hadn't even taken a look at the thing yet. She opened her hand and stared down at a dolphin-shape dark gray locket on a leather strap, tied to make a necklace. She flipped the locket over curiously and found a name on the bottom, Trout. Kat mused over this, a trout was a fish, right? It was a freshwater fish as far as Kat knew, which meant it wouldn't be gathered in 4.

Then Kat had to fight her memory to bring back memories of the girl who had given-it to her. Small and slender, with large blues eyes and hair as white has snow that fell in luscious waves down her back, tied with a light blue ribbon and a similar colored polished stone resting in its center, very expensive, meaning she was of high wealth in the district.

Her cloths were nice as well. She wore a pure white dress with loose elbow-length sleeves. The top puffed slight, then tightened to cling to her waist, and then loosened back up as the skirt turned into soft down feathers that flowed swiftly down to her mid-thigh.

"Kat!"

"What?" Kat yelled at Slader without stopping, and found her running smack into someone. She fell flat on her behind and winced, looking up to see who she had hit. She found herself facing a man around his early fifties. He was tall and thin, his skin much resembled a wrinkled up boot rather than looking like it was once copper colored, and his thinning hair has as white as the clouds floating across the blue sky behind him. His eyes seemed to be the only thing that hadn't changed since his games, which Kat had watched the night before. An incredible green that much resembled the sea. A little girl with bronze-colored hair was peeking out from behind his leg.

"Don't you have any manners, Snow?" the man asked teasingly.

Kat grinned and accepted the hand he offered her. Once she was on her feet she smiled down at the little girl, "This must be Pearl."

The old man, Finnick Odair, gave a nod, accompanied with a proud smile. Finnick was the victor of the 65th Hunger Games, which he had won at the young age of fourteen. He had been a Capitol obsession for years, until the 76th Hunger Games, when one of his fellow four victors became pregnant with his baby. The Capitol had fell in love with the couple. The girl, Annie Cresta, had won the 70th Hunger Games and had gone mad do to it. Finnick was said to have a special talent at calming her when she hit a peak, which made the Capitols go insane with joy. After a few years of them together, however, they weren't as close to the front to the Capol's attention anymore. Then about five years ago, Annie fell ill with a disease that no seemed to be able to find the cause of and she died a month later. Finnick had been devastated, and everyone though he was going to follow in his wife's footsteps and go mad. Three years later, just as it seemed he was at his breaking point, their son announced his wife was to have a baby. When the little girl was born nine months later, Finnick seemed to pull himself out of his spiral and immediately fell in love with the little girl whose dark green eyes were just like her grandmother's.

That little girl, Pearl Annie, was now balling the fabric of her grandfather's pants tightly in her little fists. "My names Kat," Kat told the little girl, crouching down and offering a hand to the little girl.

The little girl cocked her head and reached up a small hand to touch Kat's bubble gum hair. "It pink," she said in amazement.

Kat laughed. "Yeah it is."

Pearl's eyes then wandered to her ears. Her finger brushed them and they gave a twitch. Pearl pulled back with a squeak then giggled wildly. Kat chuckled and straightened up. "She's adorable."

Finnick grinned. "I know." Kat laughed at him.

_~Meanwhile~_

Losing interest, Slader found himself wandering away from Kat and the two four dwellers. After about ten minutes of wandering around aimlessly, he found himself standing at the edge of a dock. He looked out over the water watching the waves beat against the shore. He was daydreaming about how nice it would be to live here rather than in the Capitol, when suddenly a head popped out of the water by the dock. "What are you doing?"

Slader jumped and nearly fell off the other side. "Who are you?" He asked in surprise, staring the girl. Her blond hair was slicked back by the water and her dark blue eyes were staring curiously at him. "Marine." She placed her bronze-colored arms on the wood and pulled her self up so she was hanging from the dock, still half in the water. "What's your name?"

"Slader," he replied, still staring at her.

"Whatcha doin' here, Slader?" she asked again.

"Uh, I'm with Kat Snow," he told her.

"No, Silly," the girl giggled. "I mean what are you doing here on my dock?" She pulled herself out of the water the rest of the way and perched herself on the wood of the dock.

Slader looked confused. "Your dock?"

"Well, I don't suppose its really my dock, but I'm the only one who ever comes around here," she spoke thoughtfully.

"Why?" He asked.

"Well, people are convinced its haunted or something. Ever since-" she broke off abruptly and said, "Sorry, I said too much. So are you going to answer my question?"

"I just ended up here I guess," he replied thoughtfully. "Now you answer mine."

"I did," the girl told him.

"You didn't finish though, ever since what happened?"

"Never mind, its just a silly superstition anyways. I mean its not like Flyn's still here or any-" she cut herself off again and looked ready to shove her foot down her own throat.

"Who's Flyn," Slader wondered.

"He's no one," the girl replied.

"You're lying."

"Just leave me alone, okay!" with that, the strange girl stalked off in a huff. Slader sat in confusion wondering what that had been about.

_~District 4~_

"I think we're here," Kat said, pointing at a spot on the map they had been lent.

Slader cocked his head at it and said, "Are you sure. I think we're over here."

"No I'm almost positive we're right here."

"But isn't that the Jewelry Shop over there," Slader pointed out, gesturing at the squat building sitting a ways off.

Kat frowned at it, then her eyes drifted to the map and back again. "Alright, fine, we're here, but this means nothing."

"Sure," Slader replied smugly, following after her as she stalked down the street with her nose buried in the map.

She snorted at him and then felt a sharp pain in her toe. She yelped and hopped on her foot, clutching her assaulted toe. When she looked to see what had caused the pain, she found a large stone about the size of a human head. Kat stared at it in confusion.

"See! I told you! Now look what you've done!" a voice called. Kat looked up and saw a face she recognized. It was a small girl wearing a black tank-top and a pair of similarly colored shorts, stomping down the street in combat boots that made loud thumping sounds on the cobble street.

On the other end of the blond girls death glare was a dark-haired boy around her age. He was standing near the the jewelry shop looking rather disappointed. "Hmm," he mumbled to himself as though he had not heard the girl. "I really thought that would go farther." He wore a tight sleeveless shirt that showed off budding abs and tight arms. Kat almost laughed at how funny it looked on a seven-year-old.

"You threw this?" she asked, placing a foot on the rock.

"Yeah, sorry," the boy said.

"From there?"

"Yeah."

"Nice job," she told him.

"Would have been better if it hadn't have it anyone," the girl commented, no upon them.

"Hey, I know you," Kat blurted out, unable to help herself.

The girl gave her a curious look. "Me? I think you must be mistaken. I've never seen you before, well except for on T.V, I suppose."

"No, I have," Kat insisted. "You were at the train station. You gave me this-"

Before Kat could finish her sentence, the girl exclaimed, "Trout!" and leapt forward to snatch the necklace from Kat's fingers.

"You mean your twin that your dad banned you from seeing?" the boy commented from the side with a smug grin.

"Shut it, Kye!" the girl snapped at him.

The boy called Kye looked slightly abashed, then clamped his mouth shut.

"Twins!" Slader called from behind Kat. "That makes sense! Identical twins!"

"Wow," Kye said from off the side, "You're quick."

Slader eyed him angrily, but kept his mouth shut, much to Kat's surprise.

"Why doesn't your dad want you to see your sister?" she wondered aloud.

"Cause she refused to-" the girl stopped abruptly. "She just didn't listen to him very well, that's all."

"Train," Kat said thoughtfully.

"What?" Both kids asked at once looking worriedly at her.

"She refused to train," Kat continued. They were looking at her like she was insane. "You know, in the family business." Both of them looked relieved when she said this.

"Yes, the family business," the girl said, and by the ways she looked at Kat when she said it, Kat knew she understood the cover up.

Kye, on the other hand, "I didn't know you had a family business, Bass. I thought your dad didn't have to work 'cause he was a vict-" The girl, Bass, stomped his toe to silence her slower friend. "Ow! What are you doing?" Clearly still oblivious to what was happening, Kye looked back to Kat and Slader. "Anyways, as I was saying. Her dad doesn't need a family business because- Ow! What are you kicking me for? Quit it! I'm trying to talk!"

Slader snorted as Kye tried to leap out of the way of Bass's kicks to the shin. A passing Peacekeeper looked their way, and at first seemed as though he was going to break them up, then began to laugh despite himself. Kye bolted like a rocket and Bass was quickly on his tail, leaving in their wake laughing spectators, as they headed towards town square.

_~District 4~_

"You sure took your time dragging yourself here," Slader commented as they approached the large white building.

"Oh, shut it, Slader."

"Rude much?"

"I'm not in the mood today," Kat responded, reaching out to ring the door bell.

"Your never in the mood," Slader grumbled.

"Well maybe if you didn't act like that all the time!"

"Act like what?"

Before Kat could shoot back her response the door in front of them swung open. Standing in it was a girl who stood at least a head above Kat, more than likely two, with golden-blond hair that bounced in tight girls. Big, dark blue eyes examined Kat through thick eyelashes. She plucked at a loose piece of string on her red half-top and Kat saw her eyes momentarily flit in Slader's direction before returning to her with a look of recognition. "Katalina Snow, huh? I was wondering when you would show."

"Okay, you know my names, so tell me yours," Kat replied, glancing longingly at the beach that the mayor's house was set up beside. The feel of warm sand between her toes was a tempting fantasy.

"Marine," the girl's voice broke her day dream. "The Mayor's daughter."

"Interesting." Kat noticed Slader looking extremely uncomfortable beside her. "May we come in and speak with your father.

"It's not really my decision, but I suppose so," Marine replied, stepping aside to allow them passage. They stepped into a large entrance room, one side all windows that looked out onto the beach and ocean, the other lined with photos of what Kat assumed to be passed mayors. Important looking men in black suits that didn't seem right on District 4 men. Marine instructed them to wait while she went to inform her father of their arrival. As soon as Kat heard her footsteps fade she turned towards Slader.

"How do the two of you know each other?"

Slader blinked at her from behind the light curtain of red, orange, and yellow strands that insisted on covering the dark brown that was his eyes. "What makes you think we know each other?"

"Don't play stupid with me. It's obvious," Kat snapped at him.

"Really?" He blushed, scratching the back of his head.

"Yes. Now answer my question."

"Well, we kind of ran into each other on a dock on the first day."

Kat was about to question him further, but the girl stepped back into the room, cutting her off. Marine motioned for them to follow, and led them down a narrow hallway. At the end of the long hall, they came to a large set of double-doors. Marine gave one a push and it swung open, revealing a large room with four walls all made of glass, sticking out over the beach.

A long desk stretched across the room in front of the wall parallel to the entrance. A tall, darkly tanned man sat behind the desk staring at the air in front of him it seemed. "Dad," Marine called. The man blinked and looked in their direction, "Oh, hello."

"Who's that?" Kat frowned at Slader, who had failed to offer even a greeting before starting in on a question. Slader was pointing at the only decoration in the room, a large photo on the wall behind the mayor of a boy, soaked and dressed in swim trucks, smiling smugly, with dark blue eyes staring at something unseen. He was standing on a dock reaching out into the ocean and the water stretched out behind him. His dark hair was sticking to his face in clumped groups and his teeth were a surprising white.

The mayor looked over his shoulder at the picture and answered, "My son, Flynn. He died three years ago."

"How?"

"He was pushed off one of the docks," he replied.

"I'm sorry for your lose," Kat said awkwardly, shifting on her feet.

"How do you know that he was pushed?" Slader pushed, Kat attempted to stamp his foot, but Slader had been expecting it and stepped forward.

"Well, what else could have happened? He didn't just throw himself off, with a shark looming around."

"Was the pusher executed?" Kat was fighting back punching Slader in the face at this point.

"Three of them were," the mayor replied. "And one was whipped, then, fortunately, was picked to go the the Hunger Games."

Kat blinked in surprise. Outraged she grabbed Slader's hand and began to drag him for the door. "I think we'll just be leaving now."

"You come to my home to question me about my dead son and then just leave!"

"I've heard enough, thanks!"


	7. District 5

_District 5_

"When was District 5's last victor?" Kat wondered aloud. The sound of silverware clanging against plate was suddenly silenced as Slader and the Capitol 'escort', or in other words, their babysitter, Corda Pennywhistle, gave me odd looks.

"What?" Corda questioned.

"When did the victor last come from District 5?"

"Well," Corda began matter-of-factly. "It's been at more than twenty years for sure, because I watched the last victor as a child. A beautiful girl with long blond hair that I would die to have! She didn't stand much of a chance in the competition though. The only reason she one was because her brother was her District partner. He was eighteen and built just like a proper factory boy. He knocked out the competition easy. Brought her all the way to the final two, then killed himself. As I recall, the poor girl went insane. They couldn't even get a proper interview out of her and she had a break-down when they rolled the recap of the games."

Suddenly, Slader leapt to his feet, his chair crashing to the ground. Kat and Corda both jumped and Slader said, "Excuse me." Before exiting the room in a rush.

"Whatever is the matter with him?"

"I think I know," Kat replied standing herself, though not as quickly. "If you'll excuse me."

Kat found Slader in the living corridors, hunched up against the wall outside his room. "You okay?"

"How do you talk so casually about something like that?"

"She's a typical Capitol. What did you expect?" Kat laughed lightly.

"I expect her to realize she sounds like one of those psychopaths we hear about in history all the time. Isn't that kind of stuff how they picked them out."

"If you still diagnosed someone that way, then everyone in the Capital would be a psychopath."

"Maybe we are all Psychotic," Slader mumbled.

"Don't say that!" Kat scolded. "When you're raised to believe something is right, then you don't think anything of it."

"Then why do we realize it's wrong!" He burst out, taking in the two of us with his gesture.

"Well, you always have one needle in the haystack," she shrugged.

Slader huffed and banged his head on the wall behind him. Kat sat down beside him, "It's okay to be different, but it's also not wrong to be the same."

"What does that mean?"

"It means, that the Capitals aren't in the wrong just because they've been brainwashed to believe something their whole life."

"I guess so, but what about your grandfather? Is he in the wrong?"

Kat thought a moment. Was he? "My grandfather started the games as a way to get revenge on the rebels. Then, maybe he was somewhat in the right, but the fact that he's let it get to this," a sigh escaped her lips, "I love him, but he isn't in the right anymore."

"Are you going to stop it?" Slader wondered. "When he dies and you become president, are you gonna end the games?"

"I won't be the one taking his place, it'll be my mom or my grandma," Kat stated.

"Oh," Slader sighed.

They sat there a moment in silence, then Kat realized she was enjoying his company. _No! _She shouted at herself. _You cannot start to like him! At all! Not even as a friend! Do something!_

"I'm going to bed," she said flatly, standing and moving across the hall to her room. She slammed the door shut behind her and threw herself on the bed, burying her face into her hands. "This cannot be happening!" she grumbled.

_~District 5~_

Slader continued to sit, pouting on the floor. What was that about? They were actually having a decent conversation, not arguing. He hadn't even come off with anything stupid, yet! She just up and left in some kind of huff!

He pulled himself to his feet, intent on finding the dessert cart and drowning himself in the delectable chocolate. What had he ever done to her in the first place? She had been nothing but, well, just plan mean, since his father had become Head Gamemaker. That had been four years ago, the longest one person had kept the job in a while, they had been eight.

Sure he had snorted at her lovely cat features, but is that a reason to hate someone? He didn't hate people who thought his hair was funny. Then again, the hair had been his choice and he kind of liked it anyhow. Was it because she didn't like hers?

"I'll never understand her," he mumbled as he finally found his destination. He slid back the door only half paying attention.

"You'll never understand who?" Slader leapt at least five feet into the air at the sound of the voice. Corda was standing in the dessert cart with a miniature cake clutched between her fingers, staring oddly at him.

"You scared me Corda," he huffed stomping in.

The woman shifted her bright yellow wig, so it sat properly on her head, and said, "Well, when you walk around talking to yourself, people are bound to ask questions."

"Yeah, whatever," Slader huffed.

"So who do you not understand?"

Slader snatched up a cake and turned to stomp back out, not in the mood to deal with Corda at the moment. "Lots of people!"

~Distirct 5~

"So are you going to tell me what that was about last night?" Slader grumbled under his breath, so only Kat could hear.

"You're going to have to be more specific," Kat replied as the train began to screech to a halt.

"You storming off in a huff like that."

"I didn't storm off in a huff!" Kat protested. She watched Slader open his mouth to retort, but at that moment the door opened and revealed the District 5 train station. A decent uproar arouse from the gathered crowd, enough to keep the Capital happy, no more and no less. Kat put on her most winning smile and stepped out, waving to the crowd. She watched from the corner of her eye as Slader slumped out behind her, paying no mind to the crowd, which wasn't typical, and Corda relished in the attention, she had been doing that since District 1 and it was beginning to tug at her nerves. It didn't help that she was already frustrated from the night before.

Kat could honestly say she was relieved when they finally reached the streets. Even if the air was thick with smock and pollution, it was better than in there, where she had to watch Corda be all Capital-ish. She took in the danky sights of the District. A rough dirt street carved its way around the tall factories that shoved themselves into the usually bright blue sky and released thick black smoke that made it look anything but bright or blue.

"Well this place is cheerful," Slader grumbled, blowing a strand of hair from his eyes.

"Quit being all depressing," Kat snapped, yanking her map from her bag.

"Why? You get mad at me if I'm anything else."

"What is wrong with you? You've been pouting around ever since we left District 4!" Kat snarled yanking his arm as they head down a street.

"Well you've been nothing but rude to me ever since District 2!"

"I've been rude to you? You're the one who-"

"Oh get over it, Kat! I was only curious! What's wrong with that?"

"Everything! You know how I feel about _these!"_ She hissed, yanking at one of her ears. She winced in pain and immediately regretted her action as she was reminded that they were, indeed, attached to her head.

"Is everything okay?" A raspy voice spoke from behind them and the two jumped in surprise. They turned to see a small girl standing in their wake. The everything about the girl made her look like a walking skeleton. Her dark eyes were sunken to far into her head for it to be natural, and her cheeks were hollow. Her skin was the only thing covering her bones, making her look extremely frail, and Kat was almost positive that if they lifted the dirty, discolored shirt, that clung desperately to stay on her body, they would be able to count each rib. The stringy black hair that hung around her face didn't help the look of walking dead that she possessed.

"Nothing, it's just a disagreement," Kat waved it off trying not to look at the stomach turning appearance of the girl. It wasn't really her fault that she looked that way, it was the Capital's. _It's my Great-grandfather's fault._The thought made her stomach turn even more.

"You're arguing, aren't you?"

"No-"

"Yes, we are," Slader replied, cutting off Kat's response.

"My parent's argue. I don't like it when they argue, that's why I never go home anymore," the girl said sadly. "Can I help resolve anything, I'd be happy to for something to eat. I'm sure a Capital could spare that much for a service."

Kat felt a pang of guilt as the girl lifted the stale bread clutch in her hand to her mouth, and chewed slowly, but surely.

"No, it's nothing you can resolve, but we can spare food," she offered, pulling one of her bags of food out and holding it out.

The girl looked at it in disbelieve. "You-what do you want me to do?"

"Nothing," Kat said. "Except take it, of course."

"You would give it to me for nothing?"

"Yeah," Kat smiled welcomingly. "Just take it."

The girl darted forward and took it, as if afraid Kat may suddenly change her mind, then stared in even more bewilderment as Slader took out a bag of his own and held it out.

"Thank you, so much! If you ever need anything, anything at all, you can ask around town. People will be able to tell you where I am. Just tell them you're looking for Blakely Harnish." Then she was gone as quick as she came.

"Feels good to be nice to someone doesn't it Snow?" Slader growled pointedly.

"I am not even gonna argue with you about this anymore!"

~District 5~

"Look Kat, according to the map, the Mayor's house is north of here and you're trying to take us south, that's not even remotely the right direction!" Slader argued.

"Slader! We are right there standing in front of that factory!" Kat jabbed a finger at the factory plopped across the sidewalk. "And it shows that to get to the Mayor's house, you have to go that direction and take a right!"

"No! If we go that direction, we're gonna end up in the Victor's Village!"

"No we're not! You're reading it backwards because you're looking at it upside down!"

"But I'm reading it like you're supposed to when it's upside down!"

"Clearly not!" Kat retorted as she watched a group of teenagers, recently let off of school, enter the factory.

"Yes! I am Snow! Why do you always just assume your right!"

"I am right! It's not a very complicated map!"

"Apparently it is, since you can't read it!"

"I can! Look Slader, I did not get this so I could sit and listen to you argue with me about-"

Slader wouldn't know the rest of what she was going to say, for at that moment a resounding boom filled the air. Kat perked up, pink ears erect, and whipped her head around.

"What was that?" Before Slader could respond, another boom filled the air, but this time it's source was revealed as a window blew into shards of glass that rained down upon them. They looked up at the smoke pouring from the factory they were standing in front of.

"What's going on?" Slader shouted over another explosion.

"I think the factories melting down!" Kat shouted back, as people began to rush either toward the sound of explosions or away from it. Kat had heard about factory meltdowns before, it was a common thing to hear about from District 5 or District 8, but to actually be standing in front of one doing just that, it seemed unreal.

"What do we do?"

"I don't know!" Slader replied, looking around at the people, running about like a kicked ant hill. If this was a common thing, one would think the people would be more organized about it.

"There are people inside!" Kat shouted suddenly, remembering the group of teenager's she had seen. "We have to help them!"

"I think these people have it under control!" Slader responded looking around at the still frantic people.

"Are you kidding me? You call this under control? It's like a bomb went off!"

"I'm sure there just getting thing together to help! They'll get it under control, but we need to leave!"

"No, I won't-"

"Duck!" Slader shouted, abruptly cutting her off as he ducked down yanking her to the ground with him. Kat's breath caught as the large steel doors of the factory was blown clean off of its hinges and flung at them, just making it over their heads. It hit the ground only a foot from them. They had to bury their faces into their arms to keep the debris from it from pelting their faces. When they looked up again, the steel had bounced back into the air by the momentum and was spinning rapidly, before it hit the ground again and slide, right into the building across the dirt road. Kat and Slader gaped at each other, before standing up to look, no longer hearing the sounds of the meltdown or the other people shouting and screaming. A large crater had etched itself into the ground where it hit the first time, but it was nothing compared to the trench it had mad in its slide, with rubble strewn yards beyond the point of impact. As she was taking in the sight, Kat felt a pair of hand take hold of her from behind and begin to drag her off.

_~District 5~_

_"It's been three days since the factory meltdown that took place upon my third day here. In the initial meltdown, thirty-five lives were lost, one above the age of sixty-five, twenty-five between the ages of sixty-five and nineteen, Fifteen of reaping age, and four under the age of twelve. Since then we have lost five more above sixty-five, eight more between the ages of sixty-five and nineteen, and two of reaping age and one younger than twelve. Doctors say that more will be lost over the course of a few days. Apparently this is one of the worst District five has seen yet, only one person inside came out unscathed, and only an eighth of the one's still alive are expected to live much longer, and most of those will still be disabled in some unfortunate way for the rest of their lives."_

"Who are you talking to?" Kat jumped at the sound of the voice that ventured out from the shadows.

"Who's there?"

"Don't worry, I don't mean any harm," the voice assured, and from the shadows stepped a small girl. She didn't seem starved like Blakely had been, she appeared to be a girl from the better part of town, a merchant's daughter maybe. She wore her curly chestnut in a high pony-tail and her dark brown eyes stared behind a set of thick rimmed glasses. A pencil was slipped in behind her ear and she carried a small field book in one hand.

"Can I help you?" Kat questioned, a little ruder than intended.

"I'm sorry, I was passing through and heard you talking. Curiosity got the best of me. I'm afraid I'm bad about letting it do that. It'll be the end of me one of these days."

"I'm sorry, who are you?"

"Oh! I'm Minerva! Minerva Calling! And your Kat Snow are you not? I suppose you were recording notes then? I've heard you're a journalist!"

"Yeah. Do you have a relative here or something?"

"Huh? Oh! Oh, no! I here for the pure purpose of study! I'm an aspiring doctor, you see."

"You already know what you wanna do? You're like nine," Kat snorted.

"Ten, actually," Minerva replied, pushing her glasses up her nose.

Kat rolled her eyes, "Whatever, the point is, I'm twelve and I don't even know what I'm gonna do!"

"Well," Minerva began in a matter-of-fact tone, "You don't have to concern yourself with jobs. Your grandfather's position means that you'll never have to be financially concerned, so therefore, you're not put in any rush to decide a desired occupation, if any. I, on the other hand, am a District girl, I have to know what I plan to do so I can begin my work and have a better chance and getting such a difficult position, otherwise, I'll be forced to work in the factories and starve."

Kat stared at her looking over her cleanly trimmed plaid shirt over a bright white tank-top and dark brown skirt that reach her knees with knee high socks to match. "But you're a merchant's daughter."

"Correction. I'm a merchant's _step-daugter _there's a difference, you see. My step-father hates me and it's his apothecary-"

"So he's a doctor?"

Minerva made a face, as though Kat had kicked her. "_No, _my step-father owns a apothecary business. He makes and sales the drugs and medicines, but beyond that he knows nothing about medics. He'd kill someone before he could save them. Didn't you do any research before you came down here?"

"Yes," Kat shot back defensively, "but the Winner of the 74th Hunger Games's mom owned an apothecary, and she was the District's go to medic."

"That's different," Minerva snorted. "Everyone knows District 12 can't afford a proper doctor, otherwise, I'm sure she would be a doctor herself. I didn't say all apothecary owners know nothing more than the drugs they sale, some not even that, but just because they own the place, well, it doesn't make them a doctor, that's for sure."

Kat stared at her, mouth agape. "You know, it's rude to stare," Minerva pointed out.

Kat blinked, then realized her mouth was open and clamped it shut. She eyed the girl a few more moments before saying, "I am in District 5, right?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Minerva asked.

"Nothing, you just," Kat paused to think of the right words, "you just seem more like a District 3."

Minerva huffed. "A common misconception," she grumbled. "You think of District 3 because I exercise my ability to read a book and think for myself. District 3 is mistakenly called the 'Smart District' but in actuality, most of them are only smart in technology. Human anatomy, proper English, Panima's history, they don't even look at those books unless they share the same interest as me, which is to further my knowledge in every subject."

Kat plopped her head in her hands and said, "Oh, the migraine's back."

"Here," Minerva offered. "this'll help that." The younger girl tossed over a small, transparent bottle filled to the brim with small pill. "Don't take more than two at a time and don't tell anyone I gave them to you. My step-dad would freak if he found out I was just giving away his medicines. Like I care or anything."

Kat watched her trek off into the other room, which she knew was crowded with the injured people. She mentally wondered how on Earth the girl could stand it in there. She popped a couple of the pills into her mouth and pulled snatched her bottle of water off of the nearby table. She swallowed the pills as she pushed through the curtain that separated the small room she had been hiding out in and the main room, slipping the bottle of water and pills into her bag.

The smell hit her first, like a ton of bricks. The combined smell of burned flesh, and blood, and other things she couldn't even name. She nearly gagged and that was even before her eyes swept the room. Half-charred bodies stuck out the most. She barely even noticed the heavily bandaged ones. Cupping a hand over her mouth she retreated back into the other room, and stood there in a mental battle; she needed to go get Slader so they could leave, but she couldn't stand to be in there long enough to find him. The battle raged for at least five minutes, before she finally convinced herself back into the room. She found Slader standing by a boy, maybe eight, who appeared to be asleep, with his arm, or the place that should have had an arm, heavily bandaged.

Kat reached him and grabbed his arm, turning his attention away from the girl he was having a conversation. "Come on, Slader."

"Hello, Miss Snow," Kat gave the girl her attention for the first time and realized who it was.

"Minerva," she greeted curtly. "Come on, Slader seriously."

"Why?" Slader wondered aloud, glancing back at the merchant girl.

"Slader," Kat snapped. "Her intelligence level is way over your head, you don't stand a chance. Now, come on!"

Slader allowed himself to be dragged off as Minerva giggled. Once they were outside, Slader turned on Kat. "What was that about, Snow?"

"That was about me wanting to get out of there!" Kat snapped.

"So why did you have to drag me off!"

"Because, we're supposed to be sticking together remember?"

"You shouldn't have a problem with ditching me, you did it easy enough in District 3!"

Kat huffed. "Are you still on that?"

"Yes! I am!"

"I did not ditch you!"

"Yeah right, next you'll tell me those aren't Kat ears sticking out of your head!"

Kat gave the boy a shove, making him stumble back. "Why do you care, anyways? All you were doing was flirting!"

"Yeah! And she was actually flirting back!" Slader snapped.

"Slader! You're a Capitol! She's a District girl! Grandpa Snow would never allow it!

"Well you know what I think of your 'Grandpa Snow'?"

"Go ahead!" Kat snarled, whipping her recorder from the front pocket of her bag and pointing it threatingly at him. "I would love to see how long it takes Grandpa Snow to fire your father after hearing what you have to say!"

Slader glared at her then threw his hands into the air. "Forget it! You're not even worth it, you self-centered brat!"

"I'm self-centered?" Kat exclaimed, raising her eyebrows at him. "Your one to talk about being self-centered!"

"Whatever, Snow!" Slader snapped. "Just forget it!"

"Why don't I just forget you! I'm sure you'd be happy here in District 5 with your girlfriend!" Kat shouted at him, before turning on her heel and storming off without listening to Slader's response. As she went, she was very aware of all the people staring after her, but she couldn't care less.

~District 5~

"Girls, right?" Slader jumped, whipping around to find a blond boy leaned against the wall, he was at least fifteen, and stood tall and slender. His face was plastered with a wide grin and his dark blue eyes were examining the Capitol boy.

"Yeah," Slader sighed kicking a rock.

"Nut?" the boy offered, holding out a handful of nuts.

Slader stared at the things, "Where did you get those?"

"My dad's the mayor," the boy shrugged.

"No thanks," Slader replied.

The other boy shrugged and popped one in his mouth. "Suit yourself."

"So what are you doing out here?"

"I had to take my brother down here. He said he wanted to see how all the factory meltdown victims were doing, but I know he only wanted to come because he knew Minerva was gonna be here." The boy smirked. "I'm Lawrence, by the way, and I suppose you're Slader."

"Yeah, that's me," Slader grumbled, begrudgingly. "So your brother likes Minerva."

"Trying to change the subject on my, are you?" Lawrence laughed, still smirking wildly.

"No," Slader snapped in response. "I was only asking."

"Whatever, Kid," Lawrence replied, looking at him gleefully. "Yeah, he likes her. Hey, why don't I help you get your mind off of your girlfriend?"

"Kat is not my girlfriend," Slader grumbled.

"Sure. Come on, I know where all the District girls start gathering right about now." With that Lawrence turned on his heel and began off in another direction. Slader paused a moment before hurrying after him.


	8. District 6

_District 6_

_Why me? _Jacolby thought bitterly as the Peacekeeper dragged him roughly down street. It's not like he was the only one there. There had been three others at the butcher's shop. He had known it was a bad idea in the first place, but the money that could be made selling the meat in the black market was irresistible. Plus, the geniuses who devised the suicide mission had been very persuasive.

The Peacekeeper yanked him to a stop in the middle of town square, where a few people who had been hurrying about their business. They all paused in their tracks to look sadly at the scene. Most were from the poor part of the district, and didn't know him as a thief, nor did they care as long as he wasn't stealing from them.

The larger man shoved him to the ground and aimed his gun at Jacolby's head. He squeezed his eyes shut and waited for the shot, wishing for something, anything, that would postpone his death so he could say goodbye to his sister.

"NO!" He jumped at the shout. His eyes shot open and he found himself looking at the back of a girl at least five years younger than himself and half his size. The Peacekeeper was staring with eyes wide, gun held half up. Jacolby felt his mouth fall open. What was wrong with this guy? Was he really afraid of a girl half his size.

The girl's arms were stretched wide, with a firm stance that left her rooted to the spot, rooted as surely as a tree. Most Peacekeepers would have shot her for getting in the way. What did they call it? "Miss, you are obstructing justice."

That's it! "And what has this boy done that justifies putting a bullet through his head?" The girl didn't sound like a lowly District girl speaking to a Peacekeeper, higher up in the monarchy than herself. She spoke in a demanding tone, almost as though she expected to man to do as she said. _Is she insane? He could put a bullet through her head without second thoughts. _That also left the question of, why hadn't he done so already.

Jacolby shifted slightly to try and get a look at her face. Her face was half cover by shadow from her hood, which has pulled tight over her head, well, it was freezing outside, but he could make out her eyes, a fierce blue set, fixed on her opponent, and her jaw was set in a particularly demanding poise. He couldn't place her face, but he would recognize the look on it anywhere. After all, he had seen it every time President Snow made his speech at the Chariot Rides for the Hunger Games. It was the face of a person who had made a demand and expected it to be carried out.

"Snow," he breathed, at the same time that a voice shouted, "Kat!"

He whipped his head around to look for the source, and found it in the form of a young boy striding across the square. His dark eyes were set on the girl with a strong hint of annoyance in their depths. His black coat and sweat pants, and the flame designed hat pulled down over his ears, all screamed Capitol, and important Capital at that, since they were cleanly cut, with precise designs.

"Miss Snow, I have to ask that you back away." The man didn't even seem to notice the Capital boy striding towards them, as he was so distracted by the death glare he was receiving from the 'Capital's Sweetheart'."

"What has he done?" she demanded.

"Kat!"

"He was stealing, a crime punishable by death."

"Justice is an eye for an eye. Did he kill someone while he was stealing."

"No, but-"

"Kat! Would you get over here? Now!"

"Then why are you trying to kill him?"

"Because-"

"I demand to speak to Grandfather Snow on this matter before you kill someone!"

"But-"

"Now!"

"Katalina Snow, get over her, now, or I swear!"

"Shut up, Corda!" The Capital woman standing at the edge of the sidewalk gave a scandalized look and began to waddle over after the boy, advancing quickly.

"Come on, Kat!" The boy snapped, grabbing Kat's arm.

"Don't touch me, Slader!" She snapped, pulling her arm away harshly. The girl's hood fell back, and Jacolby gasped. He had never paid much attention to the Capital's Sweetheart, since in his opinion, she was just another Capital, too big for her breeches, but he had to admit, there was a reason she was talked about in the District all the time. She had a couple quirks that would give her away, for one, the whiskers that twitched under her nose, and the twin cat ears that poked out of her bubblegum hair, but if she wore a hat all the time, and plucked out the whisker, she could pass for a District girl. She had the pale complexion of a girl from a factory based district, someone who didn't spend a lot of time in the sun, and bright blue eyes that would fit right into those of the merchant girls in six. Her lips could have been twins to his sister, nearly paler than her skin, and the lightest array of freckles dotted her small nose, easily cover up by the lightest layer of Capital make-up.

Her appearance had to be the mildest he had ever seen on a Capital, except maybe Cinna's appearance, or the boy she was arguing heatedly with. At last she won and the Peacekeeper yanked him off the ground and began dragging him in the direction of the Mayor's house, the Capital's in hot pursuit, Kat and Slader still arguing loudly.

_~District 6~_

"This had better be good, Cooper!" The old president snapped, appearing on the screen in front of Kat.

"Good to see you, too, Grandpa," Kat said, sarcastically.

"Oh, Kat, it's you."

"The law about thievery being punishable by death, is there a way to get around it?"

"I see someone doesn't feel like idle chit chat today," the man responded, idly picking at a plate of lunch.

"You're dancing around the question," Kat responded blankly.

The man took his time wiping his mouth, before responding, "Why would you ask such a question."

"Because I want an answer."

"Right, well, your answer is no," he answered.

"There must be some way around it!"

"There is not," he replied, "why do you care all of a sudden?"

"'Cause I've never seen a seventeen-year-old boy kneeling to be shot!"

"You didn't think adults were the only ones who steal did you?"

"No, but-" Kat paused trying to find the words. "The law isn't fair. You said yourself the best law is eye-for-an-eye!"

"Well what do you suggest? We steal something of his? How will that stop him?"

"Well you can't just kill him?"

"Why not? We are stealing something from him! His life!"

"Did he steal someone else's life?"

"Well," the older man paused. "There may be one way around it."

"What is that?"

"We could steal his future."

"How?"

"The Hunger Games."

"No! You'd be better off killing him now!"

"Let him decide," Snow said simply. "Put his name in the bowl twice as many times as the person with the most tesserae or a bullet in the head right now."

Kat thought a moment, then said, "Fine, I'll ask him." She then stomped out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

She found the older boy waiting outside. He straightened when she came out and stared at her expectantly.

"Well," she said miserably. "You have two choices. You can take the bullet as planned originally, or they can put your name in the reaping bowl twice as many times as the person with the most tesserae."

He stared at her, mouth agape. If he took the bullet, there would be no saying goodbye to his sister, on the other hand, if he took the extra chances at being voted into the games, he would have another few months to prepare, and even get to celebrate one more birthday. Plus, there was always the slight chance he wouldn't be drawn despite the number of times his name was in the bowl, or a chance to even win. A smile came to his face at the thought of his District not being hungry for a whole year. He had the potential to win.

"I'll take the extra names." Kat blinked at him uncomprehendingly.

"You will?"

"Yes," he replied, smiling broadly, he would be worried later, right now he was giddy with the fantasy of how loved he would be if he won.

"Okay, then," Kat said slowly. "I suppose it's settled." With that the preparations were begun for his punishment, and an hour later, Jacolby was walking away to tell his family the news of what had happened.

Kat smiled to herself, then felt someone dragging her backwards. She thrashed in protest, and the dragger tightened their grip. The person didn't release her until they were in an abandoned ally, then they released her and spun her around.

"What is wrong with you?" She spat giving him a rough shove.

"What's wrong with me? I could ask you the same thing. You could have been shot back there!"

"He wouldn't have shot me! I'm the Capital's Sweetheart, he'd be in too much trouble."

"He may not have recognized you! Especially with that hood over your head!"

"Why do you even care!" Kat demanded, stamping her foot, and creating a small cloud of dust.

"Because!" Slader snapped. Kat didn't look away from him and he huffed trying not to cave under the menacing glare. "You wouldn't understand!"

"Because you won't let me!" Kat shouted with a frustrated growl that grew into a scream, which startled a cat the yowled indignantly and disappeared around a corner. "You have a hissy fit and expect me to get why your mad, but you won't explain!"

"If you can't figure it out on your own than you won't understand it even if I explained it!"

"Why not!"

"Because you won't!" Slader exclaimed, his voice hitting a note of finality. He then turned on his heel and stomped away.

Kat screamed again, and slammed her foot into a nearby trash can. It crashed to the ground, spilling its contents across the ground. She regretted it immediately as a rush of pain coursed through her foot and up her leg. She hopped on one foot, gripping her other in her hands. Her balance was soon lost and she tumbled to the ground, landing hard on her backside. She groaned, considered getting back to her feet, then decided she didn't have the energy to get back up.

She lay on the frozen ground for what seemed like a long time, though it could just have been her imagination, watching her breath fog in front of her face. Then a head popped into her line of vision, "Aren't you cold?"

Kat shrieked, and moved to leap to her feet. However, she cracked her against the girls. She jumped back holding her head in her hands. Kat got to her feet slowly, cradling the sore spot forming on her forehead. She struggled to make her mouth work and in the end found one word. "OW!"

"That feeling's mutual," the other girl muttered, flashing a grin. Kat stared at her. She was a tall, lean girl with round hazel eyes that were glinting with amusement. She was pale, suggesting no sun, but judging by her toned arms and legs, she was no stranger to work. She wore a frayed gray coat, a gaping hole on the left side certainly letting in the freezing air.

"What are you doing?" Kat asked, her voice thin with exasperation.

"Not sneaking up on a Capitol kid anymore, that's for sure. You're way to jumpy. Got something to hide?"

"Yeah, a large bruise now!"

"Nah, bruises make you look tough," the girl responded, waving her hand nonchalantly. Kat gave her a disbelieving look. "Wow, a little hostile are we?"

"I'm not_hostile_!" Kat snapped.

"Okay! Okay, I believe you," the girl raised her hands innocently. "No need to get all defensive."

"_Defensive! _You probably just gave me a concussion, and you wanna call me _defensive!"_

"Wow, someone woke up on the wrong side of the litter box."

"What!"

"Oh come on! That was funny!" the girl laughed, eyes glinting brightly.

"Not really," Kat snapped.

The girl stopped laughing abruptly and sighed. "I suppose not. Sorry."

"Who are you?"

"I'm Saria," she replied. "And you're clearly not in the mood for small talk so I'll be going."

"Wait!" Kat called, lunging forward and grabbing Saria's wrist. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be rude. I've just had a few last few weeks."

Saria smiled warmly. "It's okay. I have bad days all the time." The girl replied, waving it off.

Kat smiled at her and said, "So, you wanna sit down for an interview?"

"As long as I don't have to sit down on the frozen ground," Saria replied with a bark of laughter.

"Alright, fair enough. So where do you suggest we go?"

Saria thought a moment, "Caffine central," she replied at last, "My friend's brother owns it. It's warm and I can bully him into giving us a discount on some hot chocolate."

Kat gave a girly giggle, something she hadn't done since she left the Capitol, and followed the mousy haired girl.

_~District 6~_

"Okay, last question," Kat noted, sipping a cooling cup of chocolate. "Based on the number of times your name will be in the reaping bowl this year, would you say your chances of going to the games are high or low?"

Saria frowned, picking at one of the loose strings lining the edge of the gaping hole in her coat. "Well, I take out five slips a year for tesserae, and this is my fifth year, so," she scrunched up her face in concentration, "That means twenty-five slips this year. I don't think that's really bad, but it's not great. Maybe an average chance."

"Thanks," Kat smiled, gulping down the rest of the chocolate. "Wanna show me where the Victor's Village is? I would like to speak to some of the victors."

"Sure," Saria replied with a smiled. "Come on!"

Saria lead her down a series of streets, which Kat lost track of after about eight. Finally they came to the patch of flat land that held the large houses of the victors. "Nintey-nine years and only twelve of these houses have ever held residents."

"Well, it could be worse," Kat told her. "District 12's only ever had three."

"I suppose you've got a point. Still doesn't make it feel any better though."

"Trust me, you could feel worse."

Saria said goodbye, insisting she had to get back to her dad's shop for work. Kat waved her off, and then turned to face the victor homes. Twelve victors in ninety-nine years, and only six were still alive. She strolled over to a house marked with a six, which, unless she was mistaken, should belong to the eldest victor.

She reached out hesitantly and jabbed the doorbell. The sound bell rang solemnly through the silence surrounding her, and no response came. After a few moments of silence, she reached out to hit the doorbell again. "No one's going to answer."

Kat jumped at the voice, and peered around to find its source. She found it in a small, dark haired girl, no older than herself. The girl was standing a few feet behind her, on hand on the strap of the black bag slung across her shoulder and the other hanging at her side. Kat though she look vaguely familiar, but she just couldn't put a finger on what gave her the feeling.

"Why not?"

"Jayanna died yesterday," she replied, matter-of-factly, "but even if she was still alive, you wouldn't have gotten anything out of her. She had real bad Alzheimer before she died."

"Oh," Kat blushed.

"Anyways, if you wanna talk to a victor, my dad's home," the girl continued. "He was the victor to the 85th Hunger games."

"Oh, yeah," Kat nodded, "Spare Khyle, right?"

"Yep," she replied, dark eyes sparkling excitedly.

"That would be awesome," Kat nodded, following the girl toward another house.

~District 6~

"So, How do you feel about mentoring your first Quarter Quell?" Kat wondered, biting into a fresh cookie that the blond wife of the victor had brought.

Spare shook his head. "Scared. I don't know what to expect, it's always the last thing you think is going to happen."

_Especially this year, _Kat thought, smiling to herself.

"Do-"

"Well, hello," a voice rang out. Kat paused and glanced at the doorway, where a shaggy haired boy stood leaned against the door frame.

"Um, hi," Kat replied, unsurly. "Anyways-"

"You're the Capital girl who's going around the districts, right? What's your name, again? Cat?" he purred.

_Oh God, _Kat thought resisting the urge to roll her eyes. "Yeah, Kat Snow, and you are?"

"Dog," the boy grinned.

_Shoot me, now._

"His name it Rash," the girl from the village, who's name was Crash, responded. "He wishes he could be a dog though."

"Whatever. Girl fall over themselves when I walk into a room," the boy grinned.

"Yeah, to get out," Crash snorted.

Rash set his jaw angrily and said, "Well what do you know?"

"A lot more than you my friend," Crash replied.

"Shut up!"

Kat clicked off her recorder, realizing the fight wasn't ending soon, and called over the banter. "I think I'm gonna go get some… dinner or something."

"Bye," Rash breathed as she walk by him.

Instinct nearly caused her to slap the boy, but she managed to hold back and instead put on a sweet smile, and say, "Bye." _And good riddance._


	9. District 7

**In answer to Lya200: Some of them are future tributes, but not all of them. **

_District 7_

"Do you have a strategy for the games?"

"Of course, who doesn't?" The girl replied. She was Kat's age, from District 12. The girl was tall, for a girl of twelve, and about as big around as a broomstick. Her dress, a knee-length black dress with sequins of yellow, orange, and red that shimmered in the light like a small flame, went very well with her olive skin. Her dark eyes sparkled in the light and were a strong contrast to the bright yellow flower, tinged with orange, tucked behind her ear as she smiled warmly at the man interviewing her.

A friendly nature that may win her sponsors, but in the arena, could ultimately be her end. Was that how the girl had died? Had she been friendly to a tribute only to have them betray her?

The thought made Kat feel nauseous as it flashed across her mind. She buried her face in her arms and listened to the buzzer go of, signaling the end of her interview, and the two exchanged farewells and the interviewer wish the little girl luck. She was listening to the man announce the final tribute, the boy from twelve, when the door to her room slide open.

She lifted her head meekly, and looked over at it. Standing in the doorway, with his hands shoved into his pockets, was Slader.

"Hey, Kat," he greeted, not meeting her eye.

Kat huffed and glared back at the screen, "What do you want, Slader?"

The boy sighed. "Look, Snow. We're gonna be stuck with each other for another twelve weeks."

"Unfortunately."

"We might as well try to get along," Slader continued as though Kat hadn't spoken, "otherwise we're both just gonna be miserable."

Kat thought a moment. The boy had a point, of course. She hated when he did that. "You're right," she admitted. An awkward pause followed. "Wanna watch?"

Slader's eyes flickered to the screen, where Ceaser Flickerman was finishing up the interview, and he frowned. "What is it?"

"The 75th," Kat responded.

Slader crinkled his nose and gave his head a shake. "No thanks, I prefer to watch the games as little as humanly possible." With that, he turned on his heel and began to stroll out.

"Wait!" the boy paused, one hand on her door. "Please, I really hate watching these alone." The girl frowned herself, holding her breath as Slader stood in silent thought.

At last, Slader sighed and turned back into the room. "Okay."

A smile dominated the young girl's face as she scooted over on her bed. Slader took a seat in the empty space, just as the countdown to the beginning of the games reached five. The screen showed a shot of the twenty-four tributes on their plates, placed in a circle around the gleaming cornucopia, spilling over with supplies.

Four.

The tributes began to appear on the screen, all in wet suites, since swimming was required to get to, or away from the cornucopia, and all wearing a variety of expressions. The smirks on the faces of the District 4 tributes couldn't have been wider, this was their kind of arena.

Three.

It zoomed in on the wheelchair laden girl from Five. The poor girl looked sick. This was not a good situation for someone in her condition.

Two.

A shot of the little girl from District 12, the youngest in the arena that year. She looked pretty calm; she must have a plan.

One.

The final shot before the games began was of the favorite for that year, the burly boy form two; whose face was twisted into that of fierce determination.

The gong sounded and the camerae shifted again. It showed the little girl from Twelve turn on her heel, instantaneously, and dive in the water, in the direction of the land ringing circumference of the arena, opposite of the cornucopia, and the mayhem about to ensue there. She was no District 4 swimmer, but the girl could keep her head above water, and at her pace, she would be at the shore before the bloodbath came to a close.

The thirteen-year-old from six didn't seem to share the same idea, however, for she dived in towards the cornucopia. For a District 6 girl, she was a pretty decent swimmer, the best in the arena next to the District 4's. She was the third tribute to make it to the Cornucopia, however, the District 4 girl had already found her weapon of choice, and buried the trident into the other girl's head as she was climbing out of the water.

Kat couldn't help shutting her eyes as the young girl slumped lifelessly back into the water and began to sink into the abyss below. The Capitol girl could feel movement beside her, and opened her eyes to investigate. Slader was sitting with his knees pulled up to his chest. His face was buried into his knees so that he was peering over the tops of them. He glanced over and caught her looking, causing her to avert her gaze back to the screen, where it was showing the District 5 girl, still seated on her platform. Well, what was she expected to do? She couldn't swim and she certainly wasn't going to float, the wheelchair would sink her.

Kat and Slader glanced at each other. The camerae was spending an unusually long amount of time on the grim-faced girl. As thought on cue, something flashed across the screen and a small throwing knife buried itself into her chest.

"She wasn't even supposed to be the victim," Slader mumbled, eyes shining with tears.

"But she was," Kat replied bitterly. It was no secret the knife had been aimed at the boy from twelve. Districts One and Two had it in for District Twelve that year, since the victor of the year before, Katniss Everdeen, of Twelve, was responsible for the death of both District 1 tributes and the male of District 2, Cato. "It's not really fair is it?" Kat spoke suddenly.

"What?" The confusion was written all over the boy's face as he stared over at her.

"That the twelve kids were targeted," Kat replied. "I mean, its not their fault that Katniss killed the careers before them."

"It's not exactly Katniss's fault either, really," Slader pointed out. "It's just a fact of the Hunger Games. She had no choice."

Kat nodded her agreement, and the two continued to watch the games in silence, except for the occasional noise at a particularly gruesome death. By the end of he bloodbath, thirteen had fallen, including the girl from District One, who had leapt into the water in pursuit of the boy from twelve, but found herself leapt on by the girl from eleven, wielding a long knife. The two grappled in the water a few moments, before a pool of red stained the clear. The cameras began to zoom in, drinking in the moment, then, the dark head of the District Eleven girl emerged, gasping for air. A shriek of anger ripped the air and the girl from Four dove in and dug her trident deep into the other girl's chest.

Besides the girls from One, Five, Six, and Eleven, the boys from Three, Five, Six, and Ten and both from Eight, Nine, Ten were felled in the bloodbath.

The next day, the siblings from Seven encountered the career pack, but found themselves ignored, since the only priority for them at that moment in time however was killing off Twelve. This, however, proved to be an advantage. The third day in, the boy from Two ran in pursuit of the twelve-year-old, who turned out to be wicked fast. His pursuit ended, however, when the younger girl took a sharp turn to avoid a steep cliff. Two found that he couldn't stop his momentum and went stumbling off the edge his cannon firing moments later. Fourteen down ten to go.

The fifteenth death came two days later. The poor boy from eleven was the unfortunate victim of the careers' brutality, after two days of no death left them afraid the game makers would take matters into their own hands if they didn't get to the killing. That thought would be enough to motivate any tribute.

As the first week of in the arena came to a close, the girl from Three became the first to realize the arena was a clock. By that time, however, the girl was half-insane, after experiencing the blood rain, the Jabber Jays, which took on the voice of a little boy apparently called Watts, who later was revealed as her seven-year-old brother, and watched as the boy from One was ripped apart by an indescribably horrible mutt, that made Kat bury her face deep into her comforter, until she heard Claudius Templesmith announce the retreat of the mutt, and the start of a new horror. The girl was staggering away when Kat looked back up. It was then that it hit her, as the tributes from twelve came bounding out of the forest, away from whatever lay inside the danger zone, wide-eyed with terror. Immediately the wheels could be seen turning in the girl's head, and she approached the two.

The next day the girl set up the devised trap, with a tree the game makers used as a lightning rod, and a length of wire found at the Cornucopia. The trap was elaborate, and in the end all it needed was for the fast girl from Twelve to get the careers there in time. The dark-haired girl delivered delivered, just in time and the trap took out the girl from Two and the boy from Four, and even managed to daze the girl from Four, giving the boy from Twelve the opportunity to take her down, which he took by driving his knife into her. Unfortunately, the girl from Three stumbled into her own trap and was fried, as well.

The count went from eight to four in a matter of minutes, then from there only one alliance of two had to go down, since two victors would be two Twelve tributes met the siblings from Seven at the Cornucopia and the battle raged. After what seemed like forever, though it may only have been a few minutes, the girl from Seven drove her long knife through the twelve-year-old's heart. An anguished cry ripped from her district partner's throat and he flung his knife at the sister. It stuck into her shoulder and an agonized scream split the air around her. In a fit of rage, her brother flung his spear into the other boy's back, snapping his spin in half, and the head appeared from the boy's stomach.

The cannon fired almost instantly, and the siblings from Seven were crowned victor's of the Third Quarter Quell. The Victor Interviews finished it up around midnight, and at that point Slader looked legitimately ill. His face was pale, as though he had seen a ghost, and he was shivering violently.

"Slader," Kat said, softly. "Are you feeling alright?"

He leapt to his feet suddenly and let out an angry growl. "Yeah, Kat! I'm fine know that I've watched watched twenty-two innocent kids die!" His voice dripped with sarcasm as he turned on his heel and began to stomp toward the exit. "Thanks for the nightmares!" He called over his shoulder before slamming the door behind him.

Kat buried her face into her blankets and screamed. Why was he acting to scandalized? Did he think she wasn't going to have nightmares herself? It was going to be a week before she got the image of that twelve-year-old out of her head, and that was only one of the tributes!

And just a few hours ago he was talking about making friendly.

~District 7~

"Are you feeling well, Slader?" Corda asked, placing her hand to Slader's forehead, eyebrows crinkled in concern.

"I'm fine," Slader mumbled, swatting her long-fingered hand away. Corda frowned, and mumbled something about trying to help, but Kat wasn't paying her any attention. Instead, she was staring at Slader. She couldn't blame Corda for being concerned. In fact, if she didn't already know the cause, she would be worried too. The boy's face was like as sheet, and his eyes were puffy and bloodshot.

"I take if you didn't sleep well," she mumbled, when he was close enough.

"Big thanks to you," he grumbled back, rubbing his eye.

Kat shrugged awkwardly and mumbled an apology. Slader turned his gaze away and yawned.

"Oh, I'm so excited to see District 7!" Corda beamed. "I hear they have beautiful forests!"

"Forests are nice," Kat said.

"Quiet," Slader added," I could use some quiet."

"That makes two of us," Kat agreed.

The door opened, revealing the gathered crowd of District 7 dwellers. Slader gaped at the crowd. "Wow, this is the biggest crowd since District 4," He murmured.

"District 7 has the fourth highest population of rich, only about three percent less than District 4," Kat informed absently. "Come on, let's get this over with."

Kat barley noticed the crowd, cheering for the sake of pleasing the Capitol, and it was no time before she was coming out of the train station and into town square.

"I want to pay the mayor a visit, first," Kat announced. "He recently lost his daughter to the 93rd hunger games."

"Great idea!" Slader exclaimed sarcastically, "Let's go reopen the probably barely closed wounds of a daughterless father!"

"Are you sure you're feeling well, Slader" Corda wondered, bending down to take a closer look at him.

"I'm fine!" Slader insisted, stepping away. "I'm just a little tired, I guess."

"Well, maybe you should go back to the train and get some rest," Corda suggested.

Slader raised an eyebrow, looking from the Capitol woman, to the crowd of people pouring out of the train station. "You want me to go back through that?"

Corda looked uncertainly at the wave of citizens. "Maybe not."

"You think?"

The woman crossed her arms over her chest and gave a scowl, "Well, there's no need to get snippy."

"Whatever," the dark-haired boy grumbled.

"He needs to find a quiet spot," Kat said, under her breath. "Hey! here's an idea; What if the two of you go find a quiet spot for Grump, here, while I go talk to the mayor!"

Slader's eyes widened as Corda clapped enthusiastically. "That's a fantastic idea! Come along, Slader!" The woman cheered, taking the boy's arm; completely oblivious to the vigorous shaking of the his head. Slader glared daggers at the girl over his shoulder as Corda dragged him away, never ceasing her excited chirping. Kat gave an innocent smile, accompanied by a mocking wave, before turning on her heel and strolling in the opposite direction, pulling a map out of the bag slung across her chest.

~District 7~

"I'm not buying anything else from you, so go away, Moore!"

"Well, my name's not Moore, and I'm not selling anything, so..."

The door opened suddenly, and in the empty space stood a lanky girl. The girl's large blue eyes scanned her coldly. She brushed a short strand of white hair from her eyes and cocked her head before finally speaking, "Katalina Snow, right?"

"Yeah."

"Great, the great-granddaughter of President Snow himself," she groaned, rolling her eyes into the back of her head. "And to what do I owe this honor?" She wondered, voice dripping with sarcasm as she spoke the work 'honor'. she leaned against the white door frame an looked at her visitor expectantly. When Kat hesitated, she added, "Seriously, I want to know, so I don't do it again."

"Charming," Kat frowned. "You didn't do anything, I wish to speak to the mayor, your father I presume."

"And what makes you think he wants to talk to you?" the girl demanded.

"Well, would you rather talk to me?" Kat responded, crossing her arms over her chest, and raising an eyebrow.

The girl hesitated, biting her lip, then said, "Wait here," before disappearing into the house. Kat bounced on her heels, and looked around. The mayor's home was sat right at the edge of the forest, half tucked into the trees.

A bird chirped at her from a branch, and she smiled, whistling the four-note tune she remembered from the 74th Hunger Games. The bird trilled excitedly, and took wing, landing on the short gate behind her. Kat smiled as the little blue creature cocked its head, and whistled the tune again. The bird chirped and bounced about on the fence.

"Wow, you're an excitable little fellow, aren't you?" She grinned. It responded by taking flight and circling about her head, landing atop it placidly. It nuzzled into her pink hair and when it came back up it had a stiff strand clamped in its beak. Kat giggled, and one of her ears gave a twitch. The bird chirped indignantly, and bounced away. It stared curiously at the thing, cocking its head. "It does look rather funny, doesn't it?" She asked, putting a hand near the bird. The bird hopped on, watching the ear suspiciously. "It's my mother's fault, though. I didn't choose to look like a mutt."

"You don't look like a mutt."

Kat jumped with a yelp, and the bird shrieked and fluttered away. Kat whirled around to face the intruder, and found a tall, slightly muscular man stood behind her, smiling fondly. Kat blinked. She had grown used to the adults in the district looking at her as though she were some sort of disease or avoiding her all together. Kat thought that some may even believe she could seal their children's fate in the Hunger Games with one look. However, this man looked at her as though she were a girl he had known since she was a baby. Of course, in a way, he had, but that was not the point.

"Um, hi," she said unsurly. "I'm-"

"Katalina Snow."

"And again I am reminded of the curse of being the Capitol's Sweetheart," she grumbled, yanking her hood up to cover her cat ears.

"If it makes you feel any better," the man said, absently, "Everybody recognizes me wherever I go in the district."

"If you can live with that multiplied by twenty, then I'll feel better."

The man chuckled. "Well, it was worth a shot. It's always worth a shot, to make someone feel better."

"That's sweet," Kat smiled.

"You smile so easily," the man said. "My daughter was like that. Lately, I can't seem to make myself even fake a smile. Which is a shame, since my daughter's favorite thing was to see people smile."

"A beautiful soul," Kat recited, remembering the words of the Hunger Games announcer Lancaster Janen, when the thirteen-year-old Ivory Hold was, literally, torn to pieces by the District One girl, who had half-way been lost to insanity. The worst part of the matter was that Lust Cane became the victor that year.

Kat had been careful to avoid that victor in District 1, since she couldn't look at her without having nightmares about the "Beautiful Soul" she sent back home unrecognizable.

She felt the tears welling up in her eyes. That had been the first games she'd ever watched. At five years old she had decided she would never even try to see it the way the other Capitols did, she would only hate those games and everything they made of her people, both Capitols and Districts alike.

Hot tears rolled down her cheeks and she quickly reached up to wipe them away. "She liked to talk to the animals, too," the man was saying, strolling to the fence and putting a hand on it as he peered into the forest, eyes glazed as though he only saw memories in the leafy entanglements.

"Wrong," Kat muttered, whipping the last of the tears from her face, and fighting back the fresh. "The games are all wrong, but there's nothing I can do about it."

"There's nothing anyone can do about it," the man replied, rubbing his palm on the cold metal. "Except, of course, President Snow, but he's to blind by hatred to see the truth of matters."

"Blind by hatred," he had said, where most would have just said, "Monster". Kat Found herself smiling in appreciation. He was her great-grandfather and she loved him, no matter how much she disagreed with him, and so it hurt when people said rude things about him; especially when she couldn't shake the thought that they were true. "Blind by hatred", however, was an excellent way to justify her great-grandfather's poor decision; both to herself and to others.

"Would you like to com in?" the man wondered, looking over at her with sad blue eyes. "Ivy just made pie."

"No," Kat said, shaking her head vigorously; she wasn't up for feeling the accusing glare of the blond girl on the back of her neck. "I just wanted to meet you." With that she turned and began her stroll toward the gate, however, when she reached it, she hesitated, hand on the latch. "Also," she called back. "I wanted you to know that I was routing for her. Ivory, I mean," she added, looking over her shoulder at him. "I put everything I had into trying to keep her alive, but the truth of the matter is, sponsorship money just can't guarantee a tribute's victory."

"You're tight," the man said sadly, staring at her. "Thank you, though."

"If was just money," Kat shook her head, raising the latch.

"No, not for sponsoring her. I meant for remembering her," he told her, smiling.

Kat smiled back. "What kind of person would I be if I didn't remember Ivory Hold? Oh! One more thing," she added, stepping through the gate and snapping the latch down, "I've seen you smile twice, and they looked pretty real to me," she barley caught the smile that spread across the man's face as she turned and strolled away.

~District 7~

"You know, there's a name for people like you!" Slader snapped, slamming his bag down on the table in front of Kat, who started. Kat blinked, his bag down on the table in front of Kat, who started. Kat blinked, staring blankly at him a moment, then began a fit of giggles.

"How was your quiet time with Corda?" She teased, glancing over at the bright-haired woman, who was babbling to a waitress with long blond hair pulled back in a low ponytail, who was looking on the verge of shooting herself, and then Corda.

"Are you kidding me?" the boy exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air "Have you met that woman? She never stops talking! If you manage a quiet moment with her its because some kind of angel made a miracle happen!"

Kat giggled again and Slader shook his head, plopping into the seat beside her. "So did you get to talk to the mayor?"

"Yeah, I talked to him," Kat replied.

"How did he react to being bombarded with questions about his daughter?"

"I didn't interview him; I just spoke to him."

"You didn't interview him?" Slader wondered, taking on a mockingly surprised air. "Why ever not?"

"You're cute," Kat said, rolling her eyes, "but, to answer your question; I couldn't take the sadness about him, or the death glare his daughter gave me," Kat admitted, shoving a piece of bread into her mouth.

Slader gave a bark of laughter, earning a pout from the girl. "Death glare? Really?"

"Yes, really! I think if she were a dog, her hackles would have been standing on end when she looked at me," Kat joked.

Slader gave a howl of laughter this time, throwing back his head so violently he nearly cracked his head against the back of the chair. Kat couldn't help laughing along with him, and the two were soon in uncontrollable laughing fits.

"What are you two laughing at?" Corda demanded, hobbling over unsteadily. "Oh!" She exclaimed, stamping her foot like a child and reaching down to pull a shoe from her foot. "Oh dear! Look! It's broken!"

Sure enough, the heel of the ridiculously high heel was hanging limply from the sole of the thing.

"Oh no! It's the end of the world! Everyone panic!" Slader muttered under his breath. Kat snorted, and Slader's eyes sparkled with the usual mischievous glint she hadn't seen in a few weeks.

Corda was far from noticing either of them at this point, however, squawking like an upset bird about her "favorite heels".

Kat quickly grow tired of the scene, and people began irritably at the woman. Kat quickly took action, leaping to her feet and taking on the "mountain out of a mole hill" air she had come to associate with Capitol people and shoes. "Oh, Corda! Is that your only pair?"

"Of course not!" Corda responded, looking offended. "Who only packs one pair of shoes?"

"Well, then you better go change!" Kat exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air, and tugging, distraught, at a cat ear, as though her next thought was horrifying her already. "You don't want anyone to see you like _that!"_

"You're right!" Corda exclaimed, swinging her broken heel, and narrowly avoiding a young sandy-haired boy, balancing a tray of food. He ducked under her arm, and scurried away, glaring indignantly at her over his shoulder.

"Go!" Kat hurried, ushering Corda toward the door. "Quickly! Quickly!"

"Right!" With that, Corda began hurrying awkwardly away, waving her arms like a bird trying to take flight. Kat shook her head, and turned to go back into the building.

Inside, she found Slader, face crimson from laughing so hard, and tears streaming down his face. "That was great!" He managed through his fits. "Did you see her? She looked so ridiculous trying to run in one heel!"

"It wasn't funny," Kat replied, trying to suppress her own laughter. "And you shouldn't laugh at her!"

"You're right," Slader admitted, calming the laughter to a chuckle. "I'm sorry. I couldn't help myself. I needed a good laugh.

"Whatever," Kat grumbled, slumping back into her chair and scooping up her pencil. "Anyways-"

"That was amazing!"

Kat nearly leapt from her chair, slamming her hand into the table in the process. She hissed angrily in place of the words she couldn't find, trying to shake the pain from her throbbing hand.

"Sorry," the sandy-haired boy from before winced.

"Is it a game in the Districts or something?" Kat demanded, glaring at him. "'The person who scares the most unsuspecting people wins'?"

"No," the boy chuckled, "but that's a great idea! Thanks!"

Kat responded by pouting and slumping back in her chair again.

"Anyways," the boy went on, "I wanted to tell you that the thing you did a few minutes ago, with the shoe, was pretty amazing."

Kat felt the color rush to her face. She shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly and replied, "Well, you know, when you grow up in the Capitol..." She trailed off, assuming the rest went without saying.

The boy smiled warmly at her, making her cheeks turn darker, and said, "Well, you should teach me, because I have that problem with my sister, all the time."

"Really?" Kat wondered, looking disbelievingly at him. "I thought the shoe issue was just a Capitol thing!"

"Yeah, and I thought it was just a girl thing," the boy replied, eyes going distant as if remembering something then laughing, "then someone dropped paint all over the escort last year." He grinned mischievously and threw his hands into the air, taking on a horrified expression. "'Oh! Would you look at my shoes? They're ruined!'"

Kat laughed, recalling the memory from the year before. Poor Falam Cords still hadn't lived it down in the Capitol, although that was for a different reason entirely.

Slader caught a proud glint in the boy's dark blue eyes. Of course. Who wouldn't be proud of themselves for making a pretty girl laugh? Especially Kat since she had a really cute laugh. _Wait_!_What am I thinking? Stop that! _He shook his head to clear away the thoughts.

"I'm Axel, by the way," the boy introduced.

"Kat. Kat Snow," Kat returned. She paused uncomfortably a moment, then added, "And this is Slader. He was assigned to keep me company while I'm away from home."

"And away you are," Axel chuckled. "Pretty far away, at that. What brings you all the way out to District 7, anyways?"

"Interviews," Kat replied, holding up her recorder. "I'm interviewing people about the Quarter Quell."

"Oh yeah, that's this year isn't it?" Axel grimaced.

"Yep," Kat responded half-heartedly, putting the recorder safely back in her pocket.

"Well you can interview me if you like," he offered.

"Really?" Kat asked, blue eyes glittering excitedly.

"Why not?" the blond boy answered, shrugging his shoulders.

"That's great!" she paused in her excitement, and said, "But first; where's your bathroom?"

He laughed and pointed over his shoulder, saying, "See the hallway by the counter? It's the last door on the left. You can't miss it."

"Thanks."

"Anytime," he called as she disappeared in the direction he had pointed her in. He turned back around, and shifted uncomfortably under the dark-eyed glare of Slader. "Uh. Can I help you?"

"How old are you, Axel?" Slader demanded lowly.

"Fourteen," Axel replied simply, picking at a napkin, meekly. "How old are you?"

"Twelve," Slader said darkly, "and so is Kat."

"Age is but a number," Axel grinned knowingly at Slader, who twisted his face in distaste.

"Alright then. How about status? She's an infamous Capitol! Her grandfather has killed thousands of District children! And what are you? Just a lowly district waiter!" Slader snapped, slamming a hand on the table between them.

The boy didn't jump, as he had expected him to. In fact, he didn't even blink. Instead the blond continued to stare calmly at him, and when he spoke, the only emotion detectable in his voice was slight disappointment. "Spoken like a true Capitolite. However, I will indulge you with a reply, with the assistance of my good friend Shakespear, of course. You say status, but her status is based on her name, and as my friend says: 'What 'tis in a name? That which we call a rose, would smell just as sweet, should it be call by any other name.' So therefore, should your friend Kat be called by any other name than Snow, she would still hold that same beauty," he was on his feet, coming slowly around the table, he paused when he reached Slader, and bent to speak into his ear, "an intelligence that leaves you so flustered; for no twelve-year-old truly knows how to deal with the feelings of a true _crush!"_

Slader leapt to his feet, sending the chair crashing into the window that cracked into a spindly pattern. "That's a lie!"

"Really?" Axel grinned, straightening, completely unfazed by Slader's outburst. The rest of the small restaurant, however, had gone completely silent, staring at the two in bewilderment. Axel frowned at them. "Turn your ears deaf!" he snapped, loud enough for them to hear clearly, yet quiet enough to send a chill through the room. "The curiosity of a cat often brings about that creatures demise, and for those who meddle in Capitol business, that demise could be brought about by the president, himself."

Like he had hit a switch, everyone immediately turned back to their food, and resumed previous conversations.

"I would suggest being more careful," Axel warned quietly. "Next time I may not be able to detour them so easily, or willingly."

"Yes, really," Slader mumbled. "I don't like Snow."

"Then why do you get so worked up when I flirt with her? It's not at though you're innocent of flirting. I saw you playing my sister like a string."

Slader looked regretfully at the blond girl working the register. One he had been testing his skills on earlier that day.

"Is this your way of getting revenge?" Slader asked, not meeting the blond boy's eyes. "I hit on your sister, so you hit on Kat?"

"No," Axel's voice sounded as though Slader's confusion was the most curious thing in the world, "my sister's capable of handling herself, and she would never go for a Capitol, anyhow. She's not that air-headed."

"Then what are you doing?" Slader snarled, ever fiber of his self-control going into not making another outburst.

"Amusing myself," he smiled, sitting down again. "I've always been amused by a Capitolite's ease in something as terrible as murder, yet hesitation in something as innocent as love."

Axel smirked at the boy still standing as the tension in the air seemed to increase even more, so strong now it could be cut with a mere butter knife. After a moment of quiet, Slader opened his mouth and, in a deathly calm voice, "Spoken like a true District Dwellers. Well, your amusement is over." And with that he snatched up his big and stomped out of the restaurant, jest as Kat returned to her seat.

"What's wrong with him now?" Kat frowned in the direction he had retreated. Axel shrugged. The young Capitolite shook her head and said, "Oh well. shall we begin, then?"

"Sure."

"Alright," Kat grinned, pulling out her recorder again and clicking it on.

~District 7~

"Who does he think he is anyway? He just assumes that he knows all about me! Well he doesn't! Like I'm actually crushing on Kat! She hates me for God's sake! And 'Such ease in something as terrible as murder, yet such hesitation in something as innocent as love'? What does that even mean?" He asked. The dog looked at him with big, sad eyes, still in the position it had been in when Slader had begun his rant; lying on its stomach with its head resting on its paws. It whined slightly. "Yeah, your probably right," Slader went on, voice softening. "He's just trying to get under my skin, but," he sighed, plopping down in the dirt beside the golden retriever, "I just don't understand why it gets under my skin so much. I mean, it can't be because I like her. Of course not. It's just because she's Kat. She's almost like a sister to me. I can't have a crush on her. Right?"

The dog gave a long whine in response. Slader sighed again, and thumped his head against the wood, stacked behind him. He opened his bag and pulled out a loaf of bread. The dog perked up immediately, staring unwaveringly at the food. Slader laughed, "Alright, but only because you've been so helpful," he ripped a piece off the loaf and allowed the dog to snatch it from his fingers.

"Sounds like someone's someone's having girl problems," Slader jumped as the dog barked and bounded excitedly to its feet.

Slader scrabbled to his feet, as well, looking for the source of the disturbance. Perched atop the stack of chopped wood that Slader had been leaned against, was a small, dark-haired girl, bouncing an apple on her palm, and dangling her feet over the side. She bit into the fruit and looked expectantly at him.

"Kat's right," Slader spoke, mostly to himself, scratching his head, "it is like a game around here."

"What's like a game?" the girl wondered, swallowing her mouthful of apple.

Sneaking up on people," Slader answered.

The girl swung a foot giggling. "That's a great idea! Person to scare the most unsuspecting people wins!" Slader stared open-mouthed at her. "What? It is a great idea."

"That's what the last guy said," Slader informed rolling his eyes.

"Well, great minds think alike," she replied matter-of-factually. "So, who's gotten under your skin."

"He's nobody," Slader grumbled, scuffing the hard ground with the toe of his black combat boot.

"He sure doesn't sound like nobody, or do you just rant about every random person you meet?" Slader shrugged uncomfortably. "Come on, you can tell me. I won't tell anyone."

Slader sighed in defeat. "His name is Axel."

"Oh, him." She crinkled her nose distastefully. "I wouldn't worry to much about anything he does, he's a jerk." She stood on the pile, tossed away the apple core, and hopped off the stack, landing gracefully on the ground and sending up a small cloud of dust around her ankles. "Especially when it comes to girls."

"Thanks for the advice," Slader mumbled.

"No problem," the girl replied. "So what's your name?"

"Slader, yours?"

"Willow," the girl responded. "You know, like Weeping Willow, without the weeping part."

"Got it." Slader shook his head. "What are you doing out here? I thought the wood yard was closed."

"It is for workers maybe, but I live here," Willow told him. "With my brother Oaklin."

"Does he own it or something?"

"No," Willow responded cocking her head and giving him a confused look. "The Capitol owns the wood yard, duh!"

"Then how do you live here?"

"Well, we have a spot set up a few wood stacks that way. Neither of us felt like going to the county home after Mom died, and he sure wasn't gonna let me move in with Dad, so he set up camp here."

Slader frowned deeply. "Why are you telling me this? I could report you."

"Do it," Willow challenged, shrugging unconcernedly. "We'll be out of there by the next morning, and will have a new place by nightfall."

"You sound pretty confident in that statement," Slader noticed.

"Well, we did it last year."

"Don't you think they would learn from there first mistake and put more security around you?"

Willow threw her head back with a laugh, "'Learn from their first mistake'? The people at the community can't even figure out their first mistake when tying their own shoes, how're they gonna put two-and-two together with my brother and I?"

"Whatever."

Willow giggled. "Are you gonna report us then."

"Well, I suppose not," Slader pouted. "I don't wanna waste my breath on someone who will be gone tomorrow morning anyways."

"Good choice," she grinned, clapping his shoulder. "You wanna meet my brother? I bet it'll get your mind off your girlfriend."

"She's not my girlfriend," Slader insisted.

"Okay, whatever you say," Willow said teasingly, skipping away. The dog barked cheerfully, and trotted after her.

Slader stood uncertainly a moment, then growled in frustration, and followed after. "Since the nice Capitol boy gave you bread, does that mean I don't have to feed you?" the dark-haired girl was saying as he caught up, reaching down to run a hand through the dog's long, golden fur.

"So what's wrong with your dad?" Slader wondered.

"He's a drunk," Willow replied, "and abusive."

"Oh," Slader scratched his head. "I'm sorry to hear that."

"Its okay. Oaklin and I get along alright without him. Well, here we are!" she announced, coming to a stop in front of a stack of wood. Slader frowned. It didn't look any different than the others. The dog barked, and pounced at the ground beside the stack, scratching ferociously.

"Calm down," Willow ordered, pushing the dog back and dropping to her knees. "Give me a second."

She then began brushing at the dust in the ground. After a few moments she apparently found what she was looking for, because she pulled up a latch, revealing a trap door, disguised in the dirt.

"What is that?" Slader wondered, staring at the dark stairwell.

"I think it used to be a bomb shelter," Willow replied, moving to follow the dog into the darkness. "You know from the rebellion. Well, are you coming?"

Slader huffed and followed her. "How'd you find it?"

"We didn't? Sidekick did."

"Who?" Slader wondered.

"Sidekick. The dog."

"You named your dog Sidekick?"

"No," Willow sounded offended. "Oaklin named him Sidekick. He said the dog was like my partner in crime, so, yeah."

"I'm gonna choose to stop asking questions now." Slader shook his head.

"Good choice," Willow said again.

"Welcome!" Willow declared, giving a grand flourish with her arms. They had come out of the stairwell into a small, gray walled room, with plain bunk beds shoved against the far walls, and a stained white door on the wall to the wall to the left, Slader assumed that must be the bathroom. The only light in the room came from a single lamp swinging from a cable over their heads. The small amount of light cast eery shadows around the room. The dog leapt onto the bottom bunk of one of the beds. Slader thought that must of been its typical spot, since the sheet were ripped and torn, and the blanket was balled in a tight mess, as thought it had suffered many sessions of the dog trying to get comfortable. On the bed beside him, was a large, dark-haired boy.

"Slader; this is my brother Oaklin. Oaklin; this is Slader."

Oaklin frowned, getting to his feet. When the boy stood, his head brushed the low ceiling, and he had shoulders at least twice as wide as Sladers entire body. The boy gulped. Oaklin locked beady, black eyes on him, and his frown deepened even more. "You brought a Capitol, here?"

"How do you know I'm a Capitol?" Slader snapped defensively, although as soon as the words left his mouth he knew it was a stupid question.

"Your hair is in a flame design, plus, you're the Head Gamemaker's son, I see you on T.V all the time."

"Right," Slader laughed nervously, scratching his head. "I knew that."

"Sure," Oaklin grunted, turning back to his sister.

"You brought a Capitol here? What kind of stupid idea is that?"

"He was nice, and he said he wasn't going to tell," Willow replied, unfazed by her brother's deep, threatening voice.

"He's a Capitol, Willow! Captiol's lie! Everyone knows that!"

"Not all Capitols lie! That's prejudice!" Willow snapped, shouting over her brother. "He's different! I can't see it!"

"I hate to break it to you Willow, but your not exactly the best judge of character!"

"What does that mean!"

"I mean, you actually believed Dad would change for us!" Oaklin boomed, completely ignoring his sister.

"I-That's not-If you would just-" the poor girl struggled to be heard over his booming rant. "Would you shut up and listen to me!"

Oaklin stopped abruptly, mid-sentence, and looked at her. "You have exactly one minute," he warned.

"Sidekick likes him!" Willow announced immediately. "That's how I know it isn't my poor judgement this time. Sidekick attacked Dad because he knew he was a bad person, but Slader's different!"

"Sidekicks a dog! He can't tell the difference between a good guy and a bad one!"

"Actually, animals are said to be the best judges of character, right next to kids," Slader blurted out, clamping a hand over his mouth immediately.

"Quiet! This isn't your conversation!" Oaklin growled.

"Maybe I should be going," Slader offered, turning for the staircase.

"Great idea, see you later!"

"No wait! Please don't go Slader," Willow pleaded, looking guilty.

"And you! Start packing up, we need to find a new place, since you gave this one away."

Slader felt a wave of guilt as he listened to the two argue his entire trip up the stairs.

~District 7~

"Hey, Slader!" Kat called waving to him as he trudged down the sidewalk. "There you are. I've been looking all over for you. Where'd you go?"

"Why do you care?" Slader snapped, pulling his jacket closer around himself to shut out the cold.

Kat stopped in front of him, and pouted. "I thought we were supposed to be making friendly?"

Slader met her dark blue eyes and gave a sigh, "I suppose you're right. Sorry."

"You're forgiven," Kat perked up. "So why'd you run out of the shop like that?"

"I just had to get out of there. It was stuffy and I felt like everyone was watching me."

"Like that a feeling you're not used to?" Kat snorted.

"Doesn't make it any less uncomfortable."

"True. So listen, I wanna hit the Victor's Village. The sibling victors from the Third Quarter Quell live there and I really wanna get an interview with the Quarter Quell Victors."

"Sounds cool," Slader said absently. "So how'd your interview with Axel go?" _What kind of question is that?_

"Good, he's friends with the son of a victor, and his girlfriend lost her older sister to the games a few years back."

"So he's all tied up in the games, is he?" Slader shook his head.

"Yeah, its kinda cool," Kat smiled.

"What?" Slader snapped out of his absence suddenly. "How is that cool?"

"Well, you know. That his life's been so effected by the games, and the Capitol, but he can still be friendly with them, its a good quality in his character."

_You have got to be kidding me! _"Oh yeah, you're," _absolutely wrong. _"right." _Kiss up.._

"So let's get go..ing," Kat stopped suddenly mid-step, and said, "Oh my God, its her."

"Who?"

"Ivy Hold," Kat replied, ducking behind him.

"You mean death glare girl?" Slader wondered, looking around. His eyes fell on a lanky, tan-skinned girl, with short-cropped white hair and large blue eyes, walking with a young woman and..."Aw man!" he groaned, as he caught sight a of familiar sandy-haired boy. _Well this day just keeps getting better and better. _

"Hey, look," the girl jeered, as her big, blue eyes fell on the two, "It's Capitol Things 1 and 2."

"Nice to see you again pretty boy! Gonna stomp off in a hissy fit again because I outsmarted you?" Axel teased.

"He ran off scared, too?" The blond girl, who could only be Ivy, laughed. "Do they teach that maneuver to all the Capitols?"

"Nah, just the important ones," the woman corrected.

"There's no need to be rude," Kat answered casually, taking a position beside Slader.

"Why, actually I think there is!" Ivy returned. "I mean you were rude to me! You know ripping my sister away from me and all!"

"That wasn't my choice!"

"Killing her right in front of my eyes!"

"I didn't kill her, and I didn't say, 'Hey, let's kill an innocent thriteen-year-old in front of the entire country'!"

"Sent me back a box with nothing but a ripped apart, memory of my sister! Literally!"

"I didn't choose any of that! I was just born in the wrong place, to the wrong mother! Just like your sister! And if your to blind to realize I didn't choose this life for the country than I have serious concerns for your district's future!"

"Why you sorry little!"

Kat yelped, and turned tail, quite literally, to run. Slader soon followed after as he realized Ivy wasn't exactly concerned with who did the talking, but rather, which Capitol she reached first. "I got an idea!" he announced to Kat, turning suddenly, "Follow me!"

"I sure hope you know what you're doing, Slader!"

"Just trust me!" They came out of the alley on the main road, Ivy close behind, and Slader began the path he knew would take him to his destination. Soon they were scrambling over the fence to the wood yard. He lead her through the maze of stacked wood, and came to the one he thought he remembered as the home of the trap door. Dropping to his knees he ran a hand over the ground in search. "There coming!" Kat warned, as the groups voices came into earshot.

"They went this way I think," Slader thought that sounded far to much like Axel's voice.

"Got it!" he announce, yanking the latch. The thick wooden door swung open, and he motioned for Kat to get in. Oaklin would just have to live with it for a few minutes. He followed her in after and pulled the door closed. They say holding their breaths.

"Are yous sure they came this way Axe?" That sounded like Ivy.

"I'm positive," Axel snapped.

"Well where are they now, genius?" That must be the woman.

"If I knew that we wouldn't still be standing here know would we, Wilda?"

"Don't test me, Axel!"

"Come on, I bet they jumped the fence and went into the forest or something."

The three attackers voices disappeared as they headed for the forest.

"I can't believe they did that! I mean, do they know who I am? They could be in a load of trouble if I tell Grandpa Snow!"

"But you're not going to," Slader reminded boredly.

"Well, no, but I could," Kat insisted.

"But they know you won't," Slader reminded, "Or do you think Axel didn't figure anything out about you while you two were talking."

"You're right," Kat sighed. "I can't believe he would do that. I mean, he was so sweet before, in the restaurant!"

_Not as sweet as you think, _Slader thought bitterly. "That was before he got with his friends. He's nothing but a two-faced jerk."

"I guess so," Kat sighed.

"Great, now that that's settled, let's talk about what you're doing here," a booming voice demanded from the dark.

Kat shrieked and began fumbling in her bag for her flashlight. She finally located it and clicked it on. The light fell on the square jawed face of Oaklin. "Um, hi."

"Sorry," Slader cut in. "We needed a place to hide. I swear we were going to leave after."

"Hi Slader!" Willow called from behind Oaklin. "Nice to see you agian!"

"You know them?"

"Yeah, Willow the reason I even knew about this," Slader replied.

"Well, that answers my follow-up question, I guess," Kat grinned. "Hey, would you guys like to do an interview about the Quarter Quell?"

"No." Oaklin said flatly at the same time that his sister exclaimed, "Sure!"

"Come on! We can do it downstairs in the room," Willow insisted, pushing past Oaklin and grabbing Kat's arm.

"We actually really should be leaving," Slader tried to insist.

"Yeah, they really should," Oaklin agreed.

"Come on!" Willow complained, shoving past Oaklin again. "A little interview won't hurt anything."

Oaklin groaned. "Oh, I hate girls!"

~District 7~

"Willow's interview had to be the best interview I've had so far!" Kat was saying excitedly. "And it was so nice of her to show us the the Victor's Village! Especially since I lost my map and all."

"Yeah, it was excellent," Slader grumbled, still shuddering from the death glare he had been receiving from Oaklin.

"Anyways," Kat continued, "let's get through this last one, and we can call it a day."

"Deal," Slader agreed as Kat reached out and rang the doorbell of the large Victor's home.

"I got it, Mom!" a voice shouted from the other side of the door, then it opened and in it stood a small, brunette girl. She blinked her dark eyes and said, "Can I help you?"

"Yes actually," Kat smiled.

"Do you wanna talk to my mom? She's one of the Victor's of the Third Quarter Quell, you know?"

"Yes, I know. May I speak to her.

"Sure! Mom! There's a Capitol girl here to talk to you! You can come inside if you like," the girl offered, moving aside to let them in.

The chestnut haired victor smiled at them when she saw who it was, and showed them to her family room, where they made themselves comfortable on the couch, and the half-dozen kids came by though out the entire interview, offering a new kind of snack or drink, or staying to answer a question about being a Victor's child.

"Thanks for your time," Kat thanked when she had finished. "I appreciate it a lot!"

"Anytime," the woman, Pine, smiled warmly. "Good luck with your report Mrs. Snow, and I'll see you at the Capitol in a few months."

Kat nodded, and then turned on her heel to leave.


	10. Closer and Closer

_Closer and Closer_

Rustling.___Rustling means trouble._

_She was on her feet in a matter of seconds, shooting through the foliage like a startled rabbit, a pretty accurate description of herself at that moment, she thought as she hopped over a stump. The fox was practically on her heels now, too small to be one of the massive bulks from Nine or Two, and two agile to be the injured girl that Ivy had once called an ally. That left one other tribute, and not one she liked._

_She was running out of energy, her legs were beginning to feel like lead, and her breaths were coming in short bursts, burning in her lungs and throat. _Keep moving! _She ordered herself, pumping her arms harder. She took a sharp turn to try to lose the fox, but hit a hidden pot hole. Her foot twisted at an odd ankle and she could feel her ankle crackle as the bones snapped. She screamed in agony, clutching her ankle and allowing tears to stream down her face. She tried to scrabble into the underbrush to hide, but the attempt was useless, she had already given away her position to half the arena, and the fox was still close on her tail._

_Shortly after she hit the ground, the fox came storming through the brush, grinning broadly when she laid eyes on the injured girl. "Ivy Hold," her voice is thick with amusement. "Surprised you made it this far little girl. It's actually kind of admirable, a shame you won't be making it an farther." Her smirk is so wide, and so maniacal that it's almost believable that this is all a twisted nightmare. The girl from the luxury district, who came to the capitol with silky blond hair and fair skin, but now was darkened by sun, and scars, with hair so matted with twigs, and blood, and tangles that is was unrecognizable, was nothing more than the monster under her bed that she had made her father check for before she went to bed that night._

_The girl ran a hand along the handle of one of her knives, but didn't pull it out. "Such a shame." Suddenly she dropped to her knees, straddling the younger girl, and wrapped her fingers around her throat, disregarding the knives strapped around her chest by the vest._

_Ivy shrieked and tried to pry her fingers off, trying even harder to breath. No breathing wasn't the problem, air was still making it to her lungs, if what the medical trainer had said was true. Air in her lungs, but no oxygen to the brain. She had to focus less on dragging in breaths and more on prying away her enemies fingers. Black began to creep around the edges of her vision. Losing time. She wasn't going to make it. Darker, maniacal laughter... the feel of soft fabric, the smell of fresh baked cookies smuggled from the dining cart._

Kat shrieked, and tugged at the sheet, which had somehow managed to wrap itself firmly around her neck. She squealed and tugged, and managed to get it loose, tumbling off the bed in the process, and landing on the carpeted floor with an audible, _thunk!_

She groaned, and sat up, rubbing her neck gingerly. As she was still trying to work out what had happened, her door burst open, and Slader came tumbling in, still half asleep, and in his flame designed, flannel night pants, wielding a half empty glass bottle. "What's going on in here? Are you alright?"

Kat stared at him a moment, examining the slight ripples that suggested budding abs, she didn't know Slader even had that going for him. "What are you doing in here, Stupid?" she snapped indignantly, turning and using the bed as a prop to bring her to her feet, and also hiding the crimson blush that had colored her face at seeing the boy shirtless.

"I heard you screaming," he says innocently.

"What's the wine for?"

"Defense."

"Against what? We're on a train going some 1,000 miles an hour."

"I thought one of he Avoxes might have snapped or something," he shrugged.

"It was a nightmare stupid! The Avoxes are locked out of our compartment after we all go to sleep," she snarled, turning to face him, and hoping the red in her face would be passed off as anger.

It wasn't.

"Are you blushing?" Slader snickered.

"No!" She shouted, moving and shoving him out, "Get out!"

"What's going on in here?" Corda exclaimed, stumbling into the room wielding a thin-heeled shoe.

"It's fine Corda. Go back to bed?"

"I heard screaming," Corda informed, brow furrowed.

"Yeah, I just had a nightmare."

"What's wrong with your neck?" Corda wondered, reaching over and gently, brushing the red mark ringing her neck from the sheet. Corda might not have been the brightest, but she's a mother of two, and she never missed abnormalities like that.

"I got tangled in the sheets," Kat told her, trying to usher her out behind Slader. "I'm fine."

"Are you sure? Maybe you should get some ice on that."

"No, I'm fine. Seriously," Kat insisted.

Corda didn't look convinced, but obliged, allowing the girl to push her out of the room. "Well then, get some sleep. Tomorrow's a big day you know! Going to District 8! Textiles! Exciting, isn't it?"

"Very," Kat said, not sounding excited in the least a she slide the door shut.

"Well someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed, didn't she?"

Slader looked at the woman disbelievingly. "What?"

"How are you still peppy? It's like...three in the morning. You're supposed to be tired and grumpy... like Kat!" He informed.

"I can still hear you!" Kat's voice called from the other side of the door.

"See?" Slader exclaimed, jamming a finger at the door pointedly. "Exactly what I mean."

"Well! Not all ladies are like that!" Corda huffed indignantly, throwing back locks of freshly died pink hair (she had brought products on the road since the trip would be taking so long.) and turning to stomp away.

Slader groaned, and flung back his head, muttering, "Women." He then proceeded to turn an disappear back in his room.

Once his door had closed firmly, the young capitol girl's door silently slide back open, and her pink head popped out, looking carefully up and down the hallway, before the rest of her came out, on sock-footed tip-toe. She snuck to the dining cart, dropping off the empty that had once contained cooking, and picking up a bowl of warm vegetable soup on her way out, in the mood for something warm. A lone Avox looked curiously at her as she did so, and she put finger to her mouth, realizing after it had happened that it was rather silly, since the Avox couldn't tell on her anyhow.

Once back in her room, Kat scarfed down the soup, and snuggled back into the blankets, listening to the sound of the train, which could only be heard if there was complete silence, and even then only faintly. Usually it helped her fall a asleep, but not tonight. She was restless, her nightmares where getting worse, and with each day that passed, seemingly more and more realistic.

More and more.

Closer and closer.

...

**There probably won't be any updates this weekend. I'm going to be very busy. DX**


	11. District 8

_District 8_

_Kat sat in the dining hall, head rested on her arms, crossed over the table in front of her. Slader sat across from her, leaned back in his chair with one leg swinging to the floor while the other was propped in the chair. His elbow was propped on his knee and his eyes were trained on the girl's. Corda came into the room, and paused, staring confused at their intense staring match. "What are-"_

"Sh!" They shushed together, not looking away.

Corda made an offended noise and snaped. "I don't know what the two of you are-"

"SH!" They insisted. Corda gave another noise. They felt the train slow and then come to a stop, and Slader said, "We're in Eight? It's about time!"

Kat smirked and said, "Seven and Eight are farther apart because of the expanse of forest around Seven. Don't you pay attention in Geography?"

"Ha! You're funny!" Slader threw back his head in laughter, then jerked forward and shouted, "Dang it!"

Kat laughed and threw her hands up in victory, shouting, "Ha! I win!"

"Glad you're finished," Corda pouted. "Now can we go?"

"Someone woke up on the wrong side of the train," Kat laughed, standing and stretching. "What' up?"

"So many things," Corda grumbled, turning and stomping out.

Slader rolled his eyes. "Girls."

"What?" Kat glared. "What's that suppose to mean?"

"Nothing!" Slader proclaimed innocently, bolting quickly out of the dining cart.

Kat gasped and shouted, "You liar!" before chasing after him.

_~District Eight~_

Slader's face was set into a deep frown as he and Kat walked down the streets of District Eight. "Slader, why do you look like you're trying to think?"

"Oh, haha," Slader replied sarcastically. He cocked his head, and watched a man walk quickly by, turning and walking backwards so he could watch him all the way down the street.

"What are you _doing!" _Kat hissed, grabbing his shoulder and spinning him around. "Don't stare like that!"

"Have you seen those things they wear on their shoulders?"

"You mean their signs?"

"Their what?"

Kat rolled her eyes. "Do you pay attention at all in school?"

"Hm, you are funny."

Kat gave her eyes another roll. "District Eight is the only district with a hierarchie. There are eight classes: Dark green cloth means Spumae: Those With No Class, dark blue signs mean Contione Linea Operarius, dark red signs mean Obediebdo Machina Gubernatrix, orange signs mean Viatores, the really nice light red signs mean Imperans Machina Gubernatrix, Venaliciums wear white signs, Excogitatoris wear purple, Dominis wear golden signs, and Praefectus Urbanus are the mayor and his family. They wear grey."

"You pay way to much time in school," Slader shook her head.

"I wanna get an interview from each class, I think that would be pretty cool, don't you?"

"No," Slader grumbled. "I want some food."

"You just ate like, ten minutes ago, remember?"

"What about the victors?" Slader wondered suddenly.

"You are not going to mooch off of the victors! We'll stop by a restaurant in the square or something."

"I'm not talking about food!" Slader laughed. "I'm talking about that hierarchy thing you were yapping about earlier."

"So you were listening to me talk!"

"I mean, it's obviously based on how rich you are, and the victors are filthy rich, even more than the mayor, so shouldn't they have a class above the...what did you call it? Perfect Urban?"

"Slader! The victors are a completely different species. They don't have a class! And it's Preafectus Urbanus!" Kat snapped.

"That doesn't sound like English," Slader said thoughtfully. "Does District Eight have its own language, too?"

"Slader," the young Capitol girl sighed, rolling her eyes.

"What do they call it? District Eightish?"

"It's Latin, you ditz!" Kat snapped, smacking his arm. Then after she had had a few seconds to cool off she said, "District Eightish? That's the best you got?"

"What the crud is Latin?" Slader wondered.

"You _really_ need to pay more attention in school."

Slader groaned and complained, "You sound like my mom!"

_~District Eight Square~_

"Get your food, and I'm going to go find a bathroom," Kat told her companion before leaving him to his own devices and she went off in search of a restroom.

Slader laughed and made his way to the front counter. He sat at a stool and wave over a tall, dark-haired boy, who had been tampering with the cash register. The boy made his way reluctantly over, and Slader gave him a curious look. "What are you doing?"

The boy looked wide-eyed at him and in a panic said, "What are you talking about?"

"Do you know what you're doing with that cash register?" Slader wondered innocently. "Cause it sure doesn't look like you do."

"It's password protected," the boy told him, smiling sheepishly, "and I can't remember the password."

"Then ask someone who does," he suggested.

The boy shook hi head vigorously. "No! I think I remember now, actually!"

"Mm hm, well, it still wouldn't hurt to ask. Here, let's ask her!" and he spun in his seat and caught the arm of a passing waitress. "Excuse me, but he forgot the password to the cash register, you don't happen to know what it is do you?"

The girl looked confused and stared at the boy behind the counter, who stared back wide-eyed. "Hey! You don't work here!" She snapped. The boy flushed and streaked out of the restaurant and the girl called for Peacekeepers.

Slader laughed and murmured, "I thought so."

The girl came back with a large sigh and said, "I'm terribly sorry. Do you need someone to get your order?"

"That would be nice." Slader grinned charmingly, but the older girl showed no interest.

Instead she called across the building, "Denim! Costumer!"

Then the girl was gone and replaced by a younger blond boy wearing a too-loose, red shirt, with long sleeves, black slacks under a waiter's apron, and a goofy smile. On one hand he balanced a tray full of empty bowls. "One second," he told Slader, coming around the counter and putting the tray though a small, flap covered opening in the wall, shouting, "Dishes!"

Then he turned back around to Slader and said, "Hi! I'm Denim and I'll be your server today! We are offering turkey in sandwich form or soup form. I'm supposed to suggest sandwich form because if we don't sell those the bread's going to go bad, but, honestly, I suggest soup, it's good for warming you up!"

"Thanks for the suggestion, I'll take the soup."

"Excellent choice, now what would you like to drink? Cheap drink is water, but if you're willing to pay the extra money, we have some hot chocolate."

"I'll pay the extra." Slader grinned. "Bring two cups. I have a friend who might want some."

"Alright then, I'll be right back." With that the boy swept away through the door to the kitchen, leaving Slader wracking his brain, trying to remember what Kat had said the white sign that he had seen on the boy's shoulder meant.

"Did you get your food?" Kat wondered, coming up to sit beside him.

"Yeah, the guy's going to bring it back out. Hey, what did you say white signs mean?"

"Venalicium, its the marketers class so anyone working in the square will be wearing one."

"Oh." The boy reemerged carrying two cups of steaming, coco colored liquid. He set one down in front of each of them and then went wide-eyed at the sight of Kat. "Whoa! Kat Snow!" he said excitedly, but still rather quietly. "I figured you were Capitol from your hair but I never thought you would be traveling with President Snow's great-granddaughter!"

"Yeah, its a blast," Slader replied sarcastically, earning a stinging slap on the arm from the pink-haired girl.

"I'm Denim!" the boy introduced brightly.

"Denim!"

Denim pouted as he was motioned over to the other side of the restaurant by a customer, and said, "Hold that thought."

When he was gone, Kat laughed. "Wow, he's the first District kid who's acted like its cool to see me."

"Yeah," Slader snorted, "I'm willing to bet he secretly trains for the Hunger Games, too."

Kat gave his shoulder another smack. They sat and drank in silence, and Denim brought out Slader's soup.

"I think I'm going to go talk to that Dominus woman over there."

"So what are the two of you doing here in Eight?" Denim wondered a few moment after Kat left, coming back around the counter.

"Kat's doing some project for journalism or something like that, anyways she's going to all of the districts and interviewing them about the quarter quell and what not, and I got dragged along because her grandpa Snow thought it would be a great idea to send me to keep her company, even though he knows the two of us fight like cats and dogs."

"I guess that makes you the dog then?" Denim smirked.

Slader frowned and thought a moment. "I don't understand."

Denim laughed and said, "She's Kat, so that makes you the dog..."

"Dude...just...just no."

Denim gave another laugh and took Slader's empty bowl, sliding it into the kitchen and shouting, "Dishes!" Then he turned back to Slader and said, "Well, just a word of friendly advice: Look out for Atra Bayo. She's a bit loony, and she likes testing Capitolites."

"Thanks for the advice," Slader offered, finishing his drink and handing it over to the boy, along with his money. "Keep the change."

Kat fell into stride beside him and asked, "So what did he say?"

"I'd like to reopen the Victor class discussion," Slader changed the subject. Kat rolled her eyes and moved to walk in front of him as he said, "I mean, come on!"

_~Bayo Household~_

"All I'm saying is: if everybody else has a place in this district, why don't the most important? The victors?"

Kat rolled her eyes and she trudged along the sidewalk in front of the fire-haired boy. "They do have a place, they teach these peoples' children the best way to survive in the Hunger Games once a year, and sometimes help them to bring glory and riches to the district. Now would you drop the subject?"

"That's sounds sort of rude when you say it like that," someone pointed out. Kat jumped in surprise and came to a dead halt, nearly walking straight into a large, blond boy, wearing a large, dark coat and blue jeans.

"-Even the dirt poor people get a class, come o-oof!" Slader, who had not been paying attention, walked right into his travel partner, nearly knocking her off her feet, and knocking him on his butt. "Don't do that!"

"Do what?" Kat demanded.

"Stop all of a sudden like that!" Slader pouted, still sitting on the sidewalk.

"Well, I'm sorry!" Kat snapped. "Maybe if you would watch where you're going!"

"May I ask who the two of you are?" The large boy cut in, holding a hand out to Slader, who gladly excepted the help.

"Kat Snow," Kat introduced, "and this is...Slader Gorge. My travel baggage."

"And you thought what she said before was rude." Slader laughed at his own joke.

The boy's bright blue eyes lit up slightly. "You're a true spit-fire aren't you? Aren't the two of you cold wandering around out here?"

"Freezing," Slader agreed, shivering as though for emphasis. Kat shook her head at the boy.

"How about you come inside and warm up a bit?" The boy offered. The kids looked to each other and then nodded, following the boy down a walkway to a large house. "So what brings the two of you all the way out to our little old district? Since I'm assuming you're both Capitolites."

"School project," Kat replied, showing her recorder. "I'm interviewing people from every district and then putting it together as a presentation for class."

"Sounds interesting." The boy bobbed his head thoughtfully.

"It's really not," Slader informed him, tugging off his own coat. Then he added, "I'm gonna pretend to be sick the day she presents."

The boy chuckled. "Didn't know Capitol kids were so much like District kids."

"Yeah. Well, the fact that we live for watching twenty-three kids die every year gives us a slightly inhuman image," Kat grinned, jokingly.

"Definitely," the boy sighed, seemingly relieved that they understood.

Kat looked taken aback, and Slader paused in his quest to hang his coat from a too-tall rack, to stare at the boy. "Dude...you so weren't supposed to agree."

"It's fine," Kat smiled. "I get it."

"You know, you could interview me and my sister if you like," the boy offered.

"You mean my sister and I," Kat corrected.

"I thought the other kid was a guy..." he looked confused.

"Slader is a he," Kat replied uncertainly.

"But you said you and your sister."

"No, I was-Alright you know what? Forget I said anything. I would be happy to interview you and your sister."

"Oh, cool, Atra's downstairs in her lab. She'll be happy to see the two of you. She quite fascinated with Capitols," the boy explained, heading for a staircase. "Oh, and I'm Siri, by the way!"

Slader grabbed her arm and stopped her whispering, "Kat, I don't think this is a good idea."

"Why not?"

"I met a guy at that restaurant in the square who said we should watch out for a girl named Atra. He said she was a tad bit insane!"

Kat rolled her eyes. "You're being paranoid," She informed him, tugging her arm away and heading for the stairs.

"Kat!" Slader cried, bounding to catch up to her, but she was already on the narrow staircase, no room for him to get in front of her. So instead, he used the entire walk to try and talk the girl back up the stairs, but fell silent when they reached the bottom.

Atra's lab looked very similar to that of a mad scientist. It was mostly dark, save for the lamps set up over the various tables, strewn with papers or bubbling substances, or the lamps creating a green glow, which hung over a variety of plants along one wall. Varies contraptions lay around the room that looked very much like death traps. Other supplies were strewn across tables, or lying discarded on the floor; blindfolds, cartons of matches, earmuffs, and he occasional knife, some of which looked as though they had come in contact with blood and had never been wiped clean.

Atra herself, or the girl that they could only assume was Atra, was a small girl, with white-blond hair pulled up into a tight bun. She was dressed in a long white coat and jeans. She was seated on the floor beside one of her devices, playing with a thin wire. Slader nudged Kat and gave her a shocked look, and she understood why. A white bandage stretched across the girls eyes, seemingly leaving her sightless, she was using her hands as a guide to the ins and out of the contraption. Kat shrugged.

"Where's your dress," Siri wondered, strolling over to where she was working, and leaning in to observe. "Odd not seeing you wearing it."

"This floor is quite filthy, and I didn't want to get it dirty. Besides, Mrs. Thread is paying me to test the durability of her lab coats before they ship them off to District Three. Now who are our guests?" Atra's voice was cool, calculating. It gave the Capitol children chills.

"Capitol children. Their traveling the districts for a school project," Siri told her, helping her to her feet.

"I'm Kat," Kat introduced, "And this is Slader."

"I've always thought the Capitol gave its children odd names," Atra said thoughtfully. "I'm Atra."

"We guessed," Slader grumbled, then began to say something else, but Kat elbowed him harshly to stop him.

"It's nice to meet you Atra," Kat amended.

"A shame I can't say likewise."

"What happened to your eyes?" Slader wondered. "Did you get burned or something?"

"No. I stabbed them, now are we done with story time?"

Kat felt sick. "You what?"

"Stabbed them, you know, with a knife," she sounded slightly annoyed, but her voice remained at its cool level.

"Why," Slader exclaimed.

"I was curious." Atra replied simply. "Since you're going to stand their asking stupid question, how about you make yourself useful in the process?" She wondered. She had moved to one of her tables and was collecting her strewn knives.

"How?" Kat wondered uncertainly.

"I have an experiment I've been wanting to perform, and the two of you are prime candidates for subjects."

"Right, well, I don't like being a test dummy, and besides that, we have to meet our escort in the square in ten minutes," Kat replied, pretending to check her watch.

"The squares a ten minute walk from here," Siri informed.

"Which is why we will be running," Kat responded. Slader gave his head a vigorous nod in agreement, and the two turned and raced up the stairs.

Atra tapped her desk irritably. "I want them for my test. Siri, take me out, I need to convince them to come back."

"Atra," Siri sighed. "That's not a good idea. That was Katalina Snow, the president's great-granddaughter. If something happened to her here, the entire district could get into major trouble."

"I don't necessarily care about the districts well-being," Atra countered, but her brother could not be moved, so she sighed and conceded, "but if you really don't want me to, I suppose I won't, but next time I'm presented with such an excellent opportunity, I will not be passing it up so easily."

"Fair enough."

_~District Eight Square~_

The two children came to a stop, breathing heavily. "Alright, Slader!" Kat gasped. "Next time you say its a bad idea I'll believe you!"

Slader responded by collapsing on the ground. Kat followed him, and they sat on the sidewalk, leaning against each other and trying to catch their breath.

Carda came strolling down the street, seemingly in a much better mood. She looked and them and inquired, "What are the two of you doing? Get off of the ground its dirty!"

"Don't really care," Kat gasped. "Just ran a few blocks and now I'm tired."

"Why would you do that?" Cora wondered.

"Crazy mad scientist!" Slader answered. The boy staggered to his feet and helped up Kat. "Come on, lets go to the other side of the district and see what we find there."

"Can I come?" Corda squeaked excitedly.

"Sure, as long as you're in a better mood than you were this morning," Kat replied, taking the lead. "I want to find the mayor's house. Do either of you know where he lives?"

"He on the edge of town that way," a passing boy told them politely, pointing past the bakery on the opposite side of the square. "He doesn't like being around the Domini Villige. He's scared of Atra...everyone is."

"I know why," Slader grumbled.

"Who is Atra?" Corda wondered as they began their walk to the Mayor's house.

"A crazy girl," Slader replied. Corda waited expectantly for more, but Slader offered no more.

So instead she asked. "Is Domini what they call their victors?"

Kat groaned as Slader gave a victorious, "Ha! So I'm not the only one who didn't know about the hierarchy!"

_~District Eight Mayor Eithel's residence~_

Mayor Thread Eithel was a frail man, with a nearly transparent layer of grey hair and kind brown eyes. He reminded Kat very much of a raisin with his shriveled skin, and he made several jokes about the similarity himself. The mayor had become wheelchair bound mere days before Shimmer came through eight for his victory tour. Corda, who is normally the District 1 escort, admitted that it had been quite the surprise to see him that way when they arrived for their visit to eight.

"I don't know why ever not!" Mayor Eithel smiled. "I'm an old man, it was bound to happen sooner or later!"

"Do you plan on retiring and letting a new mayor take over?" Kat wondered.

"Of course I am! My grandson's going to take over. Just got the paper work back in yesterday. It's all planned out for three days from now. Will you all still be here then?"

"We most certainly will!" Corda squealed excitedly. "Oh I've never seen a real live inauguration before!"

"Glad to oblige," he old man laughed.

"Why not your son?" Slader, who was standing over by a large, oak bookshelf, wondered.

"My son is dead, dear boy," the man answered sadly.

Slader looked guilty and apologized, "I'm sorry, I didn't-"

"Its quite alright. That was years ago! The baby doesn't even remember them anymore!"

"Both of their parents died?" Kat wondered.

"Yeah, fire got loose at the bakery. Five were killed, including the baker and two of his kids. That's a far sadder story than mine." The man smiled.

"How old is your grandson?"

"Nineteen! I got bad just in time, he only recently got clear of the hunger games. You can see how it would be a problem if he became mayor then went off to the Capitol to either die, or become a victor and have to take on a whole new job!"

"I can see where that would be problematic," Kat laughed. "So instead of standing out in the crowd this year, your son get to sit on the stage."

"Pretty ironic, huh?" The mayor chuckled, then began a coughing fit. Once he had stopped he said, "My apologies."

"It's quite alright!" Corda waved it off. "It's not like you help.

"Grandpa!" A small blond girl called excitedly, bounding in. She spun to show off her dress and cried, "Look!" The dress was made of a dark grey silk, fitted tight at the top, with a one shoulder, thick strap, and a dark grey belt made of a lighter grey silk. In the front, on the left, was a rose made of sheer material of various shades of the grey. The skirt flared, made mostly of the same dark grey as the top, but strips of various other shades danced across its surface brilliantly.

"Wow!" The old man gasped, motioning her closer. "Where did you get this?"

"Steven made it for me!" She replied excitedly.

"Its marvelous!" He smiled fondly. "Of course anything that boy makes is marvelous. That's why he got promoted so high!"

"Who's Steven?"

"Steven Feldman!" The old mayor gave them shocked looks. "Why, haven't you heard of him? He's the current most famous boy in District 8! He works wonders with silk. One of the very few people who have ever jumped from the CLO class all the way to the Excogitatoris!"

"So he's a designer?" Kat wondered. "That's interesting. Do you know where I can find him?"

"Why, he's probably in the factory, working. He works over in the material factory. Thousand Ways, is what its called. You can't miss it!"

"Thank you," Kat smiled standing, "and thanks for your time, I will see you and your grandson's inauguration then?"

"Well, I'll certainly be there," the man laughed.

"Are you coming, Corda?" Kat wondered, looking to her escort as Slader caught up to her at the door.

Corda blinked at her in momentary confusion, then said, "Oh no! I'll stay here if that's alright!"

Kat shrugged. "Hey, I won't tell you what to do," then she turned and left behind Slader with a cheerful goodbye from the little girl.

_~Thousand Ways Factory: District 12~_

Kat sat on a table in the large factory, watching as a boy only a couple of years older than herself, work. Work for him, was designing, a fascinating job consider only fifteen people in the entire district did it and most of them were adults.

he had a large piece of light green silk laid out across a table and was pulling other rolls of the fabric off of the shelf and laying them against it. Currently he was testing a pink spread. He crinkled his nose at it and mumble something about watermelons before replacing his back on the wall.

Slader, who had quickly grown bored with watching him, and was now examining the large expanse of fabrics on the wall, said, "So what is it that you're doing exactly?"

"The Capitol escort for District Eight wishes to have a lime green color scheme for this years game, so I'm trying to find the perfect secondary color. Unfortunately, lime green is a rather tricky color to match," the boy replied. He was staring up at the shelves calculatingly, then he looked over at Slader and said, "I advise that you stand back, its quite possible that you'll get hit in the head standing there."

Slader did as the boy suggested as he began to climb onto the shelves. He made his way halfway up the wall of fabric, and tried gently slip out a roll of yellow. It didn't budge. So he tried again, with the same effect. He frowned and looked down. Kat thought he looked as though he were weighing his options. Then, he gave the fabric a hard tug, and it jerk out suddenly, nearly causing the boy to loose his grip on the shelf and go tumbling backwards off of the wall, but he kept his balance, and barely managed to keep his grip on the roll. He stared down at the ground, with the same calculating look he had presented before he had given Slader his warning, then seemed to decide that he couldn't hold the fabric and climb down, but he couldn't drop it either, without busting the plastic roll within, so instead, he balanced it atop his head, and began a very careful climb down the shelves. Once he was close enough to the bottom he dropped the roll of fabric, and climbed swiftly down the rest of the way.

"Wow," Kat admired. "That was pretty impressive."

"Not really," he shrugged modestly, then sighed as he examined the yellow with the green. "Too much bright. What a waste." He put it to the floor and stood glaring at his main theme, muttering under his breath. Then, suddenly, he snapped his fingers and cried, "I've got it!" He took off at a run down the wall of fabrics, and came back moments later with a roll of crimson fabric. He laid it against the green and grinned triumphantly. "Perfect! It doesn't clash with the gree, and it mellows out the color without completely shutting down its vibrancy, and it doesn't make it look like a fruit!"

Slader cocked his head and stared hard at the two fabrics, then gave it a shake and said, "Yeah, I have no idea where you got all that from, but okay!"

The boy laughed and said, "I hate to sound rude, but I think I missed your names. Of course I already know yours," he gestured to Kat, "but I'm not sure of yours."

"This is Slader," Kat told him.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Steven. Steven Feldman," he offered a hand.

Kat accepted it with a laugh and said, "Yeah, we know. You introduced yourself earlier."

"Oh," he blushed, scratching the back of his head. "Oops."

"It's cool," Kat grinned. "So you're sort of famous here in District Eight."

"People just get over excited about someone getting a good promotion," Steven replied modestly. He had climbed atop the table and was now seated on his knees, carefully measuring the fabrics with a tape measurer he had pulled from the pocket of his black slacks. He looked rather curious, with his dark shirt loaded down with cloths pins which were also pinned up in his short, dark brown hair, making it stick up at odd angles.

"I saw the dress you made for the mayor's granddaughter. It was amazing," Kat told him. "You're a big deal because you are amazing and extremely young."

"I'm fourteen," Steven told her. "Not seven."

"Fourteen's still pretty young."

"...I need a manikin," he mumbled to himself, sitting back. He looked around thoughtfully, then raised a hand and called, "Excuse me!"

A person who was passing through an open door with a large burden in their hand, froze. He motioned the person towards him, and they made a slow ascent in their direction.

The new comer turned out to be a girl with a long, graceful ponytail, carrying a large sewing machine. An orange sign stood out promptly on her left shoulder, right above a large symbol of an envelope. She wore a dark blue, button up shirt and a plain white skirt. "Oh," Steven said guiltily. "Sorry, Velvet, I thought you were a CLO."

"It's cool," the girl called Velvet sighed. "What do you need me to give a message to them, I have to find one anyways to take this stupid machine."

Steven laughed. "Why do you have a sewing machine anyways?"

"The delivery truck for Bayo Repairs broke down, so Mr. Bayo has a bunch of us delivering the machines ourselves while it's being repaired. A CLO was supposed to meet me at the delivery dock, but no one was there, so now I'm walking around looking for someone to take it," the girl replied with a friendly tone. "Who's this one for?"

"Gretchen Harol," Steven replied. "Leave the sewing machine here and hurry and find a CLO. When you find them, ask them to find a manikin for me and I'll have them take the sewing machine away when they get here."

"Ask them?" Velvet wondered, hefting the machine onto the table and looking expectantly at him.

"Those people used to be my people, so don't go expecting my to just boss them around," Steven replied absently.

"I'll just tell them you told them to, they work faster if their told," Velvet winked, and then took off at a run in pursuit of someone to give the message to.

"She was cute!" Slader grinned, watching the girl leave.

"She has a boyfriend that could snap you like a twig," Steven told him as he folded the red cloth and put it against the green, then he added worriedly, "No disrespect intended... I was just stating a fact."

Slader laughed and said, "I love you, dude! You're hilarious."

Steven just gave him a confused look.

_~District Eight Square~_

Whispers rippled through the square as everyone gathered, waiting impatiently for the inauguration of the new mayor-to-be to begin. Slader was seated on the curb in front of the restaurant they had eaten lunch at for most of their visit to the district, chatting with Denim. The boys were a perfect match, Kat thought, both helpless flirts with terrible senses of humor. The pink-haired girl was loitering by a lamp post, watching district dwellers go by, and counting the signs in her head. Four gold signs, two purple signs, six dark red signs, nine light red. Dark blue and orange signs made up most of the crowd. Orange signs flitted about everywhere, stopping to talk a moment with a group, then racing off to talk to another, and cloths of purple slinked in and out of alleyways, watching, quite possibly, for an unsuspecting Domini to pick pocket. However, unlike other districts, they stood out like sour thumbs with their purple, signless cloths, and slipping in and out unsuspected was near impossible.

And in the crowd was one, grey-laden little girl, bouncing about, and occasionally standing on her toes to look, of course she couldn't see much considering she was much shorter than most of the crowd. The little girl was wearing the dress she had been parading about the mayor's house in a few days before, the one that Steven had created, and her thin blond hair was pulled into a high ponytail tied with a grey ribbon.

After a few minutes of the girl's fruitless search, she was approached by a Viatores girl that Kat seemed to recognize but couldn't remember where from. The girl knelt down beside the younger and asked her something, and the little girl responded by shaking her head. The girl asked her something else, and the girl returned a verbal answer, making the older girl set her jaw. She stood, and took the little girl's hand in hers so she didn't run off, then she stood on tip toe and scanned the crowd. Judging by the frustrated look on her face, she came up empty. So she said something to the younger girl and gave her hand a small tug, and the girl followed her as she made her way through the crowd.

The little girl caught sight of the Capitol girl through the crowd and waved excitedly, taking off in her direction and dragging the older girl with her. She came to a stop in front of Kat and said, "Hi! You the girl that my grandpa was talking to the other day! I'm Stitch! What's your name?"

"Kat," Kat replied with a warm smile.

"It's nice to meet you Kat...Have you seen my big sister? She said she was going to meet me in the square!"

"No, I haven't."

"There she is!" Stich called excitedly, pointing past Kat, then taking off at a run, leaving behind her orange-signed ex-babysitter.

The older girl laughed. "She's adorable isn't she?"

"Yeah," Kat replied absently. "Don't I know you from somewhere?"

"You do," the girl grinned. "You were with Steven the other day. I was the girl with the sewing machine."

"Oh!" Kat nodded in remembrance. "That's right. Velvet?"

"Yep," Velvet replied grinning. "And you're Kat Snow!"

"I am." Kat grinned.

"I've heard rumors about you Miss Snow," Velvet told her.

"I hope their not bad rumors."

"Rumors that say you're here in District Eight on some sort of school project," Velvet said, assuringly.

"Oh! Well, then they're no longer rumors. I am," Kat confirmed.

"Cool," Velvet nodded. "Is it going well?"

"Yeah, better than I'd hoped."

"Hello, cute District Eight girl!" Slader purred, walking over with Denim and giving his head a flick.

Kat rolled her eyes and groaned, while Velvet gave the boy an unimpressed look and said, "I have a boyfriend that could snap you like a twig."

Slader's smiled didn't falter as he shook his head and said, "That makes you the second person to say that."

"Good, maybe you'll figure it out the second time," Kat growled.

"I thought cats were supposed to purr," Slader teased.

"This cat's about to break your nose," the girl warned.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" A voice boomed over the chatter.

"That's our cue to shut up," Kat hissed as Slader ignored the old mayor and opened his mouth to reply.

Slader pouted and turned to look to the stage, where the mayor was seated in his wheelchair in front of a microphone. He was dressed in a grey dress jacket with a blanket thrown over his legs, and he seemed very glad to be finally ridding himself of the strains of leadership.

"Today we are gathered to watch as I step down as your leader, and another takes my place. Please give a warm welcome to your new mayor, my grandson, Rustle Eithel!"

Rustle, a tall boy with short blond hair and too-pretty blue eyes, took the stage, swore into his position with a peacekeeper and made a small speech, then the crowd cheered for him, and the inauguration was over.

Kat wasn't surprised. After all, it wasn't like he was taking the President's spot or something.


	12. District 9

_District 9_

_"Good morning!" Corda greeted cheerfully, bouncing into the dining cart over-excitedly, and nearly knocking a groggy twelve-year-old on her back. Kat leapt back, nearly spilling her cup of hot chocolate._

"Hey!" She cried indignantly.

But Corda wasn't paying her any mind, she was too caught up in her own excitement, chirping about how happy she was to be visiting District 9. Apparently Merelyn, the District 9 Hunger Games escort, said that the golden fields made it quite beautiful to visit, or at least that's what she was saying as she plopped a glob of strawberry jelly on a piece of toast and began spreading it with her butter knife.

Slader, who had been dozing into a bowl of cereal, groaned, and covered his ears, but Corda didn't notice him either.

Finally, Kat decided she couldn't take the woman's rambling, and she snapped, "Corda!" Corda stopped mid-sentence and Slader jumped in surprise. "It's winter, there isn't going to be any golden fields! Its all going to be dead." Then, so she didn't have to see the effects of words on the woman, the girl turned on her heels and stomped out.

Corda looked to Slader and said, "What's wrong with her?"

Slader only shrugged.

_~District Nine~_

Distric 9 Square was almost like the setting a corny western movie. There was one main road and lined up on either side of it were shops, restaurants, and other buildings, leading to a large open space in front of the large, off-white justice building.

Adults bustled up and down the street, some with small children not yet old enough for school. The school was on the outside of the square, just in front of one of the wheat fields.

"That walk was ridiculous," Slader yawned. "Why is the train station so far from town?"

"Would you rather them drive through the fields and loose space that could be growing more wheat?" Kat pointed out.

"I think having wheat fields all the way around the District for miles is a bit of a design flaw."

"I think they did it to keep the district dwellers in and besides, the more wheat the better."

Slader gave up his end of the argument, and instead asked, "So does the Mayor live here in the square, or out their?"

Out there, meant the small lodges that housed the wheat field workers, or those who didn't own a shop in the square. Kat thought about the question a moment, before saying, "Yeah, I think he lives somewhere out that way."

"What about the victor's village?"

"I think it's somewhere behind the Justice building."

"You think?"

"I'm not sure, okay! Is that so bad?"

"Okay! Calm down!"

Kat huffed. Slader leaned up against the wall of the bakery, and watched people go by in silence. After a few moments of this, he asked, "Where are all of the kids?"

"School," Kat told him.

"Oh... Hey look a person for you interrogate."

"Nice," Kat said sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "And I don't interrogate people. I interview them."

"Same difference." The boy shrugged. "One just sounds better."

"Come on, lets go stop someone."

_~District 9~_

"District Nine has really good bread," Slader informed, offering one to the pink-haired girl, who was seated beside him on the Justice Building steps.

"Do you ever do anything besides eat?" Kat asked him disgustedly.

"Sure," Slader shrugged.

"And flirting with everything that moves," Kat added.

"Oh...I don't flirt with anything that moves!"

"Sure you do," Kat argued. "Look a group of girls."

"Really," Slader jerked his head in the direction Kat had nodded.

Kat snorted. "I didn't even have to say 'Pretty girls'."

"Well, they _are _cute. Here hold this." Slader shoved his half-eaten loaf of bread into Kat's hands, and began to make his way over to the small group of girls.

"Gross," Kat mumbled, dropping the bread and moving to follow her companion. Those girls would definitely need her help.

"Hello ladies," Slader called to the group. The girls turned to look curiously. One of the girls, a girl with straw colored hair, leaned over and whispered something to the dark-haired girl beside her, who giggled.

"Slader," Kat sighed coming up beside him.

"Decided to join me, huh?" Slader grinned. "Wanted to see the master at work?"

"You wish," Kat snapped.

"Hiya!" one of the girls, one with strawberry blond hair, called once they were in earshot. "Are they doing the reapings early this year, like before the Quarter Quell is even announced?"

"What makes you think that," Slader laughed.

"Well, you're clearly not a District Niner, and we don't get many Capitols here unless its the reaping," the girl explained.

"Clearly? What gave me away?"

"Uh..the fancy pants."

"The nice coat that actually looks warm."

"The perfect complexion."

"The hair."

"Oh yeah, definitely the hair," the first girl nodded in agreement.

"You're very observant," Slader said, teasingly.

The girl grinned at him and offered a hand, "I'm Falan, and this is Stella and Marlene." She gestured to the dark-haired girl and the red-haired girl with her.

"Slader," Slader introduced, shaking the girl's hand, "and this is Kat. Nice to meet you."

"Cool to meet you, too," Falan replied. "So if you're not here for reapings, then what does bring you here to District Nine?"

"School project," Kat replied, showing her recording device. Falan raised her eyebrows, making a, "You're totally going to have to explain." face. Kat sighed and did. "I'm performing interviews and then doing a report which I will be presenting in class."

"Interesting." Falan bobbed her head. Stella leaned over and whispered something in Marlene's ear, making her smirk.

"What?" Kat demanded.

Stella looked surprised. "Nothing," she answered with a shrug. Then, when Kat didn't look convinced, the girl sighed. "Alright fine. I was just pointing out to Marlene that it's got to be rather difficult to find someone willing to talk about the Capitol, to a Capitolite, who will be sharing that information with lots of other Capitolites." She gave a huff and shifted her weight to one side, and gave a fierce blow, sending her bright red locks flying.

Slader saw Kat's ears give an irritated twitched, and decided that if her tail was out, it would most definitely have been doing likewise, however she had stuffed it into her jeans, like she usually did, the next best thing to having it completely removed.

"You'd be surprised how many people are willing to talk to me," she told them, in a too-sweet voice.

The red-haired girl shrugged and said, "Alright, I believe you, but I'm not one of those people. I'll be leaving now." And then she was gone.

Marlene hesitated, before scurrying after her friend.

Falan sighed. "You'll have to excuse Stella, her brother died in the games a few years ago and she's been rather...er, bitter ever since."

"It's okay," Kat sighed. "I'm afraid I'm sort of used to it by now."

Falan offered a smile in return and said, "Well, I should go, I have to be home soon to help. Nice to meet you."

_~District 9~_

The butcher's shop smelled rotten.

That was the first thing Kat noticed when she entered the place.

The second was the girl behind the counter, counting out money. She was small, with snowy hair that hung breezily around her face. When she heard the door to the shop open she said, "One moment, please." without looking up. She finished with the money, scooped it up and placed it under the counter, then she looked up at Kat, and the recognition could not have been clearer on her face.

"Kat Snow?" Kat couldn't decide if it was meant to be a question or a statement, and, by the looks of it, the girl didn't know either.

"That's me," Kat informed, lingering by the door.

Slader waltzed right up to the counter, his goofy smile splitting his face. The girl frowned and looked uncertain, taking a step away from the counter. "I'm Slader," the boy introduced, holding out a hand.

She stared at it and cautiously said, "Fantasia. Nice to meet you. Are you looking for my father?"

Kat shrugged. "I'm just looking for anyone who wants to talk."

Fantasia nodded slightly and said, "I'll go get my father."

Slader turned to Kat and raised an eyebrow. "Sort of on the rude side, isn't she?"

"Maybe you scared her off with your bad attempt at flirting."

"Ouch, hey put away the kitty claws. I was just asking a question." He winced when Kat punched him in the arm and snapped at him to knock it off with the cat jokes. "Hey! I was just making a joke! Jeez, you need to chill."

Kat opened her mouth to respond, but was silenced when a broad man came from the back of the shop, wiping his hands on a bloodstained cloth. Kat almost emptied her stomach right there. "Hello, can I help you?"

"Um, we were just wondering if anyone here knew how to get to the Victor's Village, is all," Kat lied, averting her gaze.

The man didn't seem to notice as he gave a jovial laugh and proclaimed, "Well, then you should have kept talking to my daughter! Fantasy's best friend lives in the Victor's Village, in fact, I think she's head there now. Fantasy?"

Fantasia stuck her head back into the room and stared at him questioningly. "Are you going to Mercy's?" Fantasia gave a slow nod. "Perfect, meet Kat and Slader, why don't you show them to the Victor's Village?"

A pause passed, as Fantasia studied them and seemed to think about the question. Then she said, "Sure."

To say that the girl didn't talk much on the walk to the Village would have been an understatement, she didn't talk at all. That is, until Slader began a rather loud conversation about an imaginary project for Panem history. "I was thinking about doing a report of that District 9 victor...what was his name? Vince? Yeah! Vince Hulse. I heard the only reason he won his games was because his ally got him to the top three."

"That's a lie!" Fantasia exclaimed indignantly. "Vince Hulse had five kills in his games. He earned that victory!"

Slader grinned mischievously. "So she can talk to the Capitolites, huh?"

Fantasia looked shocked, realizing what had just happened. She gave a frustrated growl and said, "Don't do that!"

"Well, then talk a little," Slader countered.

"I don't want to," Fantasia shot back.

"Why not?"

"Because I have nothing to say!" Fantasia defended angrily. She turned back around, and walked in silence a little longer. "Here we are," she said at last, as they rounded the Justice building. Behind it stretched an entire neighborhood of large, white houses. "Have fun."

"Wait, where are _you _going?" Slader demanded as the girl turned and began to walk in the other direction.

"Away from you," Fantasia replied quite simply.

Slader pouted. "Well, aren't you at least going to tell us which house belongs to who?"

Fantasia turned and gave him an annoyed look. "Do I look like a stalker to you? Just because I have a friend who lives here doesn't mean I know where everyone lives!"

"Wow, she's really grouchy," Slader commented as she stormed away. Kat gave him a sharp punch in the arm and snapped,

"Would you quit irritating the locals!"

"Ow!" Slader whined, watching the girl storm away. "Jeez, what is wrong with all of the girls today!"

Kat approached one of the large houses, and knocked on the door. A moment of silence, then, "Coming!" The door opened and in it's place stood a tall, dark-haired girl, with big brown eyes. Kat recognized her immediately.

"Hey! You're Marlene!"

The girl gave an amused laugh. "Nope, I'm Massie, Marlene's twin sister, and you're a couple of Capitol kids. Very popular Capitol kids at that." Massie bobbed her head, examining Kat.

"You know who we are, I suppose."

Massie stared at the small girl. "You, yes. But your friend here."

"Slader," the boy introduced himself. "Slader Gorge, nice to meet you."

"Likewise," Massie replied. "Would you like to come in? I'll assume you wish to speak to my father."

"Wow, that must be a District 9 thing, huh?" Slader joked. Massie looked confused, so Slader said, "Um..inside joke."

"Oh," The girl sounded slightly disappointed. "Well, I'll go get him, you two can make yourselves comfortable."

Slader does as she says and makes himself comfortable on the dark red couch in the living room. Kat sighed. "Do you not have any self-respect?"

"That's such a stupid question," Slader snorted. "What do you think?"

"You're such a brat," Kat sighed, plopping down beside him. Massie comes back into the room then and takes a seat in a chair on the other side of the room.

"I would like to apologize," she said, taking the two by surprise, it was then that they noticed that this girl was in an entirely different outfit than Massie, which would make her Marlene. "For my friend's behavior earlier, I mean. Her manners are, admittedly a little rough around the edges."

Kat smiled. "Trust me, its fine. I practically live with him," she jerked her head towards Slader, who whined,

"Hey!"

"So I'm used to it," she finished, not acknowledging Slader's outburst.

Marlene giggles. "Are you two, like, brother and sister?"

"What? No!"

"Absolutely not!" Kat figured their simultaneous outburst probably didn't help their case.

Marlene giggled and said, "Alright, I was just curious. You're parents must be important, though, I've seen you on T.V a lot."

"Yeah, my dad is the Head Gamemaker," Slader informed her.

Marlene's face flashed, only for a moment, to a look of hatrid, but she recovered quickly and said, "Oh, that must be interesting. Having a father in control of the games, I mean."

Slader snorted. "My dad is in control of the arena, but he is far from being in control of the games."

Marlene looked confused. "I'm afraid I don't understand."

Slader just laughed it off. "Just forget it." He replied. "It's nothing really. Just me saying things I don't actually know anything about." But Kat knew he knew exactly what he was talking about, and she did too. Head Gamemaker Gorge may design the arena and the events that happen inside, but nothing he does is done without some sort of consent from her grandfather, or at least, serious consideration of what he would think of it, and, of course, if it didn't go the way he liked, the Head Gamemaker would find themselves without a job, or another breath.

She caught Slader's eye and gave a warning look, but he just shrugged as Marlene went on, "Oh...okay. Well, at any rate, its gt to be nice to have a little closer of a look at the arena."

Slader almost laughed. "I don't get to go anywhere near the control room. My father doesn't discuss work at home. In fact, he doesn't discuss much with me at all." Kat looked at her feet, it was true of course. Slader's father was hardly ever around, and his mother had died years before Kat even knew Slader existed. That was why he spent so much time around the mansion, her mother insisted. The place was his home almost as much as it was hers, and he was like her brother.

Except that her brother wouldn't flirt with her every chance he got.

Marlene seemed to be growing more and more disappointed by the minute. Slader was roving to be very dull. No inside information on the arena, no confidence in his father's control? He might as well be a bag of bricks for all he was good for.

"Hello!" A man came into the room, flanked by Massie and a girl that could only be another sister, with curly black hair, and big brown eyes. "I see you've met my daughter." He came into the room, smiling at the two. Kat smiled, glad for the familiar face. Haze was a victor that Kat thoroughly enjoyed seeing when the games rolled around. He was nice and funny, and made a light mood out of almost anything.

He took a seat and started a conversation that was revealingly free of mention of Head Gamemaker Gorge.

Kat was, admittedly, sad to say that they had to go and return to the train, otherwise Corda would grow worried.


	13. District 10

_District 10_

The square was nearly empty, I rare sight in District 10. Most of the time it was swarming with people. Ranchers, come to sell meat to the butchers, or trade with the baker or apothecary for bread. Children running about between the stalls and people's legs, determined to stop being "it". Groups of teenagers sharing stories, or merging with other groups and acting friendly, even though everyone knew they were plotting which farm they were going to beat the brains out of each other at.

Ariel couldn't count how many times her father had been forced to run those groups off of their small horse ranch. He would return, spitting about how stupid they were being and Ariel would laugh, which would cause his face to soften. Their father had always had a soft spot for his children, but ever since Nathaniel and Sariel's deaths three years before, he just couldn't stand to see them unhappy anymore. He would do anything for them, and they could get away with anything. But they didn't ask for much because they didn't want to cause trouble for their father, and they didn't have much that they could use to get things.

Today, however, they had something. A very big something, wrapped in an old shirt and placed carefully in Ariel's bag. Cassiel had found it, cowering in the back of one of the horses stalls. The Roams weren't cruel people, mind you, bu rabbit was rare in District 10, the coyotes usually ate a majority of them while stalking the ranches for an opportunity to get at the better meat. The butcher could make a small fortune off of the things, selling the meat to the public, the fur to the Capitol, who would have it shipped to District 8, and the feet o the crazy old shaman on the edge the square, because she insisted they brought good luck. No, her family was not cruel, only desperate.

Gracen, her best friend, glanced around the streets nervously. "Where do you suppose everyone is?"

Ariel shrugged. "I don't really care as long as the butcher's in his shop. That just means less trouble."

Gracen smiled. "I guess you're right."

Ariel rolled her eyes. "Of course I'm right. Jeez..."

Gracen laughed as he followed the small, dark-haired girl across the street to the street to the butcher's shop. The bell tinkled softly when they came in, but other then that, the shop was silent. "Hello?" Ariel called into the silence.

"We're closed," a voice informed, and from the back emerged a tall girl with coal colored hair and eyes.

"Why?" Ariel wondered, despite knowing that interrogating a shop owner's kid is usually bad idea.

"My father's off at the train station to see the Capitol's arrive, and I don't mess with customers," she replied quite simply.

"Capitolites?" Gracen's brow knit up. "Here in District 10?"

"Yeah, weird huh?"

"Yeah...weird," Gracen mumbled, folding into his own world of thought.

His friend dug into her bag as he contemplated this new information, pulling out the wrapped animal, and lying out on the counter. "Well, I think you're dad'll want you to make an exception for this."

The girl raised her eyebrow, and unwrapped the bundle. "Where did you find this?" She wondered, surprise edging her voice.

"We found it in one of our horses stalls," Ariel replied. "Exception time?"

The butcher's daughter raised an eyebrow. "Hang on, my dad keeps an emergency list of what he pays for certain meats around here somewhere."

She found the paper, and agreed to trade a good price, more than They had ever received for one of the cows they raised. She moved to the back of the store to put away the rabbit, and collect Ariel's money. While she was gone, the door to the shop opened again, and in entered two, young children, that struck Ariel as peculiar. One was a girl, with short, pink hair, and ears to match. Whiskers stuck out under her nose, and a tail flicked cautiously around her ankles. Ariel raised an eyebrow, and examined the boy, with black hair, the ends clearly designed to resemble flames. Burning coal, she mused.

The girl noticed them, and smiled. "Hi!"

Ariel waved uncertainly, and Gracen offered a shy smile.

"I'm Kat," she introduced, although it wasn't really necessary. Ariel knew who she was, anyone who lived in Panem knew the Capitol's Sweetheart when they saw her. "And this is Slader."

Ariel wondered if she realized how silly she sounded, introducing the two most infamous children in Panem, but she didn't say anything, no use agitating the Capitol's Sweetheart, and the Head Gamemakers son, that would be like poking a sleeping bear, just stupid. So instead, she introduced herself. "I'm Ariel, and this is Gracen, my best friend. Nice to meet you."

"Likewise." Kat grinned.

"Here you are," the butcher's daughter said, coming back with a bag of money. She handed it to Ariel, noticing the Capitolites. "Hello."

"Hi!"

"A Capitol citizen, especially one of such high respect, in this shop was an honor I never thought I would get," The girl commented.

"Happy to oblige."

Ariel took her money, and said, "Well, I have to go. Nice meeting you." She waved to the Capitols as she left, who returned the motion, with smiles. Well, at least all Capitolites were bloodthirsty psychopaths.

_~District 10~_

The butcher's daughter introduced herself as Ruthie, and answered Kat's questions with a half smile, happy to share her story as the butcher's daughter. At some point, her father arrived back at the shop, and he, too, answered a few questions, before leaving for the back of the shop. Kat and Slader left the shop with a neatly wrapped rabbit, which neither was very keen on eating themselves, but tricking Corda into eating it would prove to be very funny.

"So," Slader wondered lazily, kicking a rock. "Where to know? Should we go the farms and harass some of the families there, or should we go hit up the victors?"

"You're not funny," Kat replied, rolling her eyes.

"Wasn't trying to be." Slader shrugged, but the note of mischief in his voice gave him away.

"Whatever," Kat huffed, examining her map.

Slader mimicked her sound. "You know I hate it when you do that."

"When I do what?"

"When you 'whatever' me," Slader answered, sighing exasperatedly.

"Sorry," Kat muttered, not sounding very sincere.

Slader sighed again and decided against pressing the issue.

"I think we should go to the mayor's house," Kat went on, as though their previous conversation hadn't happened.

"Well, you're the boss." Slader shrugged and glanced at the map. "We're is it, oh Wise One?"

"Remember when I said you're not funny?"

"Yeah, whatever."

_~District 10~_

When they finally found their way to the mayor's house, they found a girl, maybe sixteen, outside, tending to a large flower garden. "Hello!" Kat called as they approached, looking curiously at the girl.

Her head snapped up, a look of surprise shining in her pretty azure eyes. She smiled at the sight of them. "Wow! I thought Capitolites her in Ten was just a rumor." She stood and made her way to greet them, careful not to smash any of her flowers.

"A gardener, huh?" Slader wondered, looking curiously at the patch of dirt. The girl looked back at is, smiling fondly.

"Yeah, a monument for all of the tributes who die in the games. I have a little stake with their names by the flowers for each. Oh! Be careful, please!"

Kat, who had come forward to get a closer looked, jumped slightly. She crouched cautiously to the ground,, and lifted up a petal. "I plant them every year, that way the families don't feel like nobody remembers their loved ones, you know. It hurts less when you don't feel like they were forgotten."

_Bryson Steele. _Five years prior, in the 95th Hunger Games. He had been sixteen, and had made it to the final four, before being attacked and killed by wolf mutts. That had been a particularly gruesome death, as Kat remembered it.

She continued to examine the flowers as Slader talked with the girl. She found the oldest dated back to when she was still a baby, only a year after she was born, the 89th Hunger Games. _Hailey Brown_ a small twelve-year-old from a small farm, who didn't even make it past the blood bath, and _Markus Rustie _a strong eighteen-year-old whom everyone liked for a victory. He was taken down by the career back the third day in.

_Silk Richards._ The 98th Hunger Games.A daughter of one of the semi mayors, who watched over the small clusters of farms surrounding the districts, a practice only known to District 2, 10, and 11. She hadn't made it past the first day.

_Jesse Tanner. _The 94th Hunger Games. That one had been particularly horrible. He had been only twelve, but his district partner, Willow Bee, had taken pity on him, and agreed to ally with him. She got him all the way to the top five, before she sliced a knife in his throat. Kat knew she would not find Willow's name in the garden. She had won.

_Sariel Roam. _The 97th Hunger Games. She had been reaped with her brother, both fourteen, and together, they had made it to the top five, where Sariel was killed by the District 1 female.

_Nathaniel Roam. _The 97th Hunger Games. Sariel's twin brother, who killed the District 1 female in a fit of rage. While he was still mourning the death of his sister, the District 2 female had attacked, and given him a very brutal death. She had lost to the District 8 male, Patch Mills, the latest District eight victor.

And so many others. "This is amazing," commented, causing the other two to look at her. The girl practically glowed underneath the thin layer of dirt and sweat.

"Thank you." She then shook her head. "I'm being rude! I'm Alliuma Goldheart, but you can call me Allie if you like."

Kat smiled. "Nice to meet you."

Slader raised an eyebrow, and shrugged, unsure of what exactly he was getting at. "I'm Slader," he informed. "And Kat sometimes forgets that even though everyone knows her, they don't all know me."

Allie giggled. "You're funny."

_What to feed the flame, _Kat thought bitterly.

"Would the two of you like to come in? I can make some tea, and you can tell me what brings you here!"

Kat nodded in acceptance, and followed her through the door to the mayor's house.

_~District 10~_

"All I'm saying, no one's _that _happy all the time!" Slader, who was convinced something was wrong with the ever-happy Alliuma Goldheart, went on. He paused thoughtfully, and Kat smiled, thankful for the silence, until: "You don't think she's on drugs or something do you?"

Kat sighed. "You amaze me, Slader."

"I'm being serious!"

"So am I."

"So you're saying you don't agree?"

"No! I really don't!" Kat snapped, feeling water seep into her shoes. She yelped leaping back, realizing that she had stopped to argue with Slader right in the middle of a large puddle. She cursed angrily at her now ruined shoes, and tugged them off, as well as the soaked socks. "Ugh! Do you know how long these took Cinna to make!?"

Slader just laughed, earning a glare from Kat.

"_What _is so funny?"

"You sounded like such a girl just then!" Slader laughed.

"I _am _a girl, you moron!" Kat growled, lobbing her shoe at him. It clipped his shoulder and he winced, gasping as mud splattered across the red fabric.

"You idiot! Your mom's going to kill me! And then you!"

"Well, she's not going to be thrilled about the ruined, million dollar shoes, either!"

Slader opened his mouth to counter, then closed it and stamped his foot. "Jeez, I hate it when you're right!"

"I thought playing around in the mud was a no-no for the Capitol," a voice called teasingly. The two kids turned to look, finding a large boy standing a ways off, grinning mischievously.

Kat looked at Slader, who was doing the same. "Who are you?"

"Just a lowly District 10 boy trying to get by."

"I'm being serious," Kat sighed.

"Me, too."

"Do you know what this is doing here?" Kat nodded towards the puddle of water. "I heard Ten hasn't had rain for weeks."

"It hasn't," the boy agreed. "I made this, to drown unsuspecting victims."

Kat huffed. "That's a serious admittance, I would be careful who you say it around, even if it is just a joke."

The boy shrugged. "What are you gonna do? Report me? You don't even know my name."

"I can tell them where to find this."

"Then I'll leave."

Kat didn't exactly feel like continuing the argument, so instead she said, "What is your name anyways?"

"Well, why would I tell you that now that I know you're gonna report me?"

"I'm not going to report you."

"Shimmer."

"Haha, you're hilarious."

He shrugged. "I try."

She rolled her eyes. "I don't have time to have a comeback battle with a guy who won't even tell me who he is. We've got to get back to the train and change."

"You do that. If you feel like you want to finish the comeback battle, you know where to find me."

"I thought you were leaving so I didn't report you."

He shrugged. "I don't think you're going to report me, really."

_~District 10~_

"A disaster! Why didn't you bring an extra pair of shoes? Just silly! Childish!" Corda was rambling on, but Kat wasn't exactly paying her any mind. She was staring miserably at her ruined shoes. "Are you going to answer me?"

"What?"

"Why didn't you bring another pair?"

"I only have one pair of these," she gestured to the kicks in frustration.

"So? Where something else! I know you have more shoes than _that _pair! You're mother is Cordelia Snow for Pete's sake!"

"My _mother _doesn't have the same style as me, everything she gets is too..." she was going to say Capitol-y, but thought better of it and finished lamely with, "fancy."

Corda made a sound like a hen, shaking her head. "There's no such thing as '_too fancy!'"_

"You see? This is exactly what I'm talking about. My mother and I don't see eye-to-eye, which is _why _I only have one pair of shoes."

Corda snorted. "Well, that's just ridiculous!"

"Welcome to the club," Kat muttered under her breath.

"What?"

"Nothing," Kat grumbled. "What now?"

"Well," Corda said thoughtfully. "I can't lend you mine, they'd be to big. Plus, they may be 'too fancy'."

"Shouldn't have said anything."

"We could buy you some from the market," Slader put in, coming into the room with a new, clean, black shirt.

"Don't be silly!"

"That's actually not a bad idea." Kat shrugged. "I mean, it's not like we can call home and have them send me a pair, that would be wasting too much resources."

"Your mother would have my head if she knew I let you buy, and wear, District clothing!"

"Well, it's a good thing shoes aren't technically clothing."

"I second that motion," Slader put in, and Kat got the sneaking feeling that he merely wanted to see her mother's reaction when she came home wearing District shoes.

Corda sighed, defeated. "This just doesn't feel right."

Kat shrugged. "What else are we going to do?"


	14. District 11

**Finally! A new chapter! We're all caught up! Yay! **

**Thanks to my two newest reviewers: Lya200 and Stella Hawk! I appreciate the both of you. ^.^**

**And to those of you who were following before, welcome back!**

**Enjoy!**

~District 11~

The arena was all ice this year. A stupid choice, half of the tributes would freeze. Grandpa Snow would not be happy about that.

She trudged along, shivering violently, every step sinking deep into the snow and making walking all but impossible. Flakes floated down for the dark, featureless sky and decorated her head carelessly. She shivered violently and collapsed exhausted.

She considered remaining there. Eventually she would die of hypothermia, or another tribute would come along and be rid of her. Not one of them would hesitate, they were all out for her blood anyways.

But then he came. "Kat? Kat! What are you doing? You're going to freeze!"

She heard the snow crunch quietly as the boy knelt beside her, and his hand, miraculously warm, wrapped gently around her arm. "Come on, Kat! Get up!"

"No!" She snapped, yanking her arm away. "Leave me alone, Slader!"

"Come on, Kat!" He insisted, begging to shake her in a panic. "Kat! Get up!"

"Stop it, Slader!" Kat snarled, angrily, sitting up abruptly. Suddenly, she was no longer sitting in a pile of fresh snow, she was sitting on the soft, white, carpeted floor of her room on the train, hand threaded into the fabric. Slader was staring at her wide-eyed at her, dressed in his flannel pajama pants and a black hoodie, with his hair sporting the undeniable mess of sleep.

Kat ran a hand over her arms, which were covered in goosebumps, and shiver. Well, at least she knew why she had been dreaming of snow. "It's freezing in here!"

"Yeah, I know,"Slader replied, climbing to his feet. HE reached down and tucked a hand carefully under Kat's arm, pulling her to her feet. "It's like this on the whole train. Corda's having a fit, because no one knows what's causing it. She's threatening to call your grandpa if someone doesn't figure it out.

Judging by the mess of her blankets, and by the way they hung half-down to the floor, and the fact that she was on the floor in the first place, since she certainly hadn't started the night there, Kat figured she'd fallen out of the bed. She climbed back under the blankets, relieved for the woramth her spaghetti-strap top and shorts had not provided. Slader climbed in beside her. Any other tim, Kat would have shoved him out angrily, but she was an ice cube, and he was a toaster, which was a welcome relief. So she allowed him to stay.

Not long after, Corda stuck her head in, hair in messy disarray, saying something about a blowout that had shorted the Central heating/air unit, so it was stuck on air. She said that the conductor was calling the Capitol station to send them a new train, so they would be staying right where they were until them. She warned them not to get under anyone's feet, and said that she would send an Avox with some soup to warm them up.

It was far from a surprise when the Avox arrived not long after. An angry Corda was to be feared, but a distraught, mother-mode Corda was to be kept happy at all costs.

"Well, this whole thing sucks," Slader commented, spooning some soup hungrily into his mouth.

"Why send us a whole new train?" Kat was wondering quietly, not actually talking to Slader, but he answered anyways.

"Well, they don't want the Capitol's Sweetheart to freeze."

There was the ever-slightest note of betterness that sparked anger in Kat. "If you want to trade blood lines, then be my guest! I didn't ask to be the descendent of the most hated man in Panem!"

"Stop acting like you're some kind of victim! You have the big mansion, and the hand-and-foot service, and the laving family, and everything you want!"

"Everything I want? I assume you're excluding the stop to the deaths of twenty-three children every year?"

"That's not fair."

"We're playing fair? Really?"

Slader opened his mouth, but had no response came. Instead, he set his soup down on her bedside table and muttered something about going to find some coco. Kat resisted the urge to call him back; apologize. The last thing she wanted to do was apologize to Slader.

By the time he returned, caring a cup of steaming coco in both hands. Kat figured his soup had gotten cold, and had sent it off with an avox, who had come to collect her empty bowl. Slader crossed the room and held one of the cups out to her. "Truce."

Kat raised an eyebrow. "You bounced back fast."

Slader grinned sheepishly. "Corda said we have to stop fighting and be nice to each other for once."

Kat wasn't sure she fully believed that excuse, but he was trying to be nice, even if he lied about why, so she should try as well. She reached out and accepted the drink, thanking him and allowing him to make himself comfortable beside her once again.

The girl shrugged. "It usually takes a little less than a day to get form the Capitol to District 10, so I'd guess we'll be here a little while." Kat stared at the drink, too busy enjoying the warmth it gave her hand o think about drinking it just yet.

Slader took a sip of his own, and leaned against the head board. "Great."

Kat crawled out of bed and sprinted to her closet, where she slipped on a jacket and pants. She collected a pair of socks from her dresser, and then knelt beside her bed and pulled out her box of videos. "I have twenty-five more to finish in four weeks," she told Slader, placing the box on her bed. "Probably should get some finished while I can."

He nodded, and stayed in place, not even leaving when she slipped in the tape of the 25th Hunger Games, like she had expected him to. They watched three sets, neither feeling up to going back to sleep, before Corda stuck her head in and told them that the train would be arriving soon, so they should probably begin gathering things for the avoxes to carry over.

As it turned out "arriving soon" for Corda was a bit of a loose term. Kat had plenty of time to gather her things in the hallway, and then get halfway though a fourth set of games tapes.

"Train's here," Slader told her, sticking his head in, and glancing momentarily at the screen.

Kat nodded. "Okay, I'll be over in a minute."

He mimicked her motion and disappeared. Kat crawled cut of the bed and collected the tape, returning it to the box. Then, she carried the box with her off of the train. An avox tried to collect the box from her, but she shook her head, refusing to allow them to take it. "I can carry it myself, thanks."

The conductor of the new train tipped his hat at her. "Hello, Mrs. Snow. How are you?"

"Better, now that I'm off that freezing train," She replied, hefting the box higher. "How are you?"

The man answered with a simple, "Fine", and reached over to open the door for to the compartment. She thanked him as she climbed on, and quickly found her room. The avoxes had put her things in a room at the back of the sleeping compartment, near the dining cart, which Kat suspected they had done on purpose. They knew she snuck over and stole food all of the time.

~District 11~

They arrived in District 11 that night, but did not head out for exploring until the next day.

"So, What's the random fun fact for District 11?" Slader asked as they strolled down the hard packed street of District 11 square.

"What do you meant?" Kat frowned at him

"Well, normally by this time you've given at least one random fact that nobody really cares about," Slader replied with a shrug. "It's like I'm still in school."

"Wow, you're getting started early today, aren't you?" Kat sighed exasperatedly.

"On what?"

"On getting on my nerves," Kat snapped.

"Oh, haha, you're hilarious."

"I wasn't trying to be funny," the girl grumbled.

They walked in silence after that, neither much up for arguing after the long day they had had before. Slader kicked begrudgingly at rocks as they went, one of which Kat was sure he got to at least three. The silence felt strange, foreign, and definitely uncomfortable, and after a while Kat couldn't stand it anymore. "We're going to the mayor's first. Try not to embarrass me, okay?"

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Slader mumbled, nearly inaudible.

The mayor's house was tucked away in the back of the square large but squat. Two smal children were playing in the front lawn, while an older warned them to be careful. Kat waved to them, and the older waved back, jogging over to them. "Can I help you?" She questioned as she approached, trying for a smile.

"We came to talk to Mayor Welsi," Kat replied, smiling back. "I'm Kat, and this is Slader."

"I know who you are." The girl rolled her eyes. "My father's in his office, and we're not allowed to bother him when he's in there."

"Oh..." Kat smiled sheepishly. "Well, would you mind talking to us?"

"Uh, no thanks." The girl crinkled her nose, and turned on her heels, shouting, "Trinity! Que! If you don't knock that off I'm going to hurt the both of you!"

"Don't take it personal." Kat jumped at the new voice, and spin around to see a tall boy, who couldn't have been much older than herself, wearing a bright smile. "My sister isn't known for being polite to anyone. I'll talk to you if you like. My name is Addian." He held out his hand.

"Nice to meet you." Kat smiled shaking it.

Addian sprawled out on the grass, and gestured for the two Capitolites to take a seat. He turned out to be a rather enjoyable conversationalist, happy to answer any question, and cracking jokes at just the right times. A some point, the two children bounced over, curious to learn what they were doing. The younger of the two, a little boy by the name of Que, reached out cautiously, and brushed Kat's ears, jerking away as though they had bitten him, and giggling along side his sister, Trinity.

A girl came out of the house, with her thick black hair done in twin french braids, and balancing a tray on one hand. Kat estimated that she was no older than herself, with the same dark skin and chocolate colored eyes as the other children. She sat the try on the ground, and Trinity and Que attacked the treats meticulously decorating its surface. She laughed lightly at the younger once, and introduced herself as Dani as she flopped onto the ground, and tilted her head up towards the sun.

"Capitols in District 11? I've never heard of that before." She paused, frowning thoughtfully. "Well, except for when the games come around that is."

Kat smiled. "Well, you see new things everyday."

"Not really." Dani gave her head a shake, watching a bird carve a path above her head. "Here in eleven, it's pretty my much the same everyday. During winter they send us to school, and the rest of the time they make everyone work in the orchards."

"Even the market kids?" Slader wondered.

"Market kids in District 11 is a bit of a loose term," Addian told them. "Even people who make a little extra money off of butchering and baking don't get much. There kids still have to work in the orchards to help support. The only children who get out of picking fruits are the kids of what pass as doctors around here, and there still working pretty much around the clock. Lots of people get hurt in the orchards. Fall out of trees, or get to close to a Tracker Jacker nest."

"What about you and your siblings? And the victors' kids? Certainly you don't have to work?" Kat pressed.

Dani laughed. "District 11 hasn't had a victor in over twenty years. The 78th was the last, and Berriah never had any kids."

Slader stretched across the grass and picked at the green strands. "And you?"

"Nah, we don't have to work," Dani replied. "We sort of sit around. It's a little boring, sometimes I feel like I'd rather be working in the orchards."

"What changes your mind?"

"Something bad happens. Like last week, when Fianna fell out of the peach tree."

Addian winced. "Oh yeah, that was bad. Poor girl's never going to walk again is what Branna's mom said."

"Yeah, things like that make you appreciate your life a little more."

They stayed there for most of the day, and may have been here longer had Corda not arrived and told them that the avox's had dinner prepared.

Dinner was quiet, at this point, everyone was simply ready to be home. They were sick of each other, and the train, and the beds that weren't their own. Plus, Kat figured Corda was messing her children.

Kat knew Corda and four children, the oldest being only a year older than herself. That was Adeen. He was intimidating, with the large build and broad shoulders of his father. The brawn of the family.

Then there were three girls, all built small and girlish. Emery was Kat's age, and probably the only girl in her circle that felt like a real friend. Emery was decent in the intelligence field, made good grades, and all, and she was okay in the athletic department, could keep up with everyone in gym, but what made her truly stand out was talent. A musical prodigy. She could play any insturment that she picked up, which labeled her as the talent of the family.

Then, Anadelle. She was ten, and had nothing higher on her list then being the most popular, and fashion-adhesive girl in her grade. Naturally, she couldn't take most popular in the school, since Kat sort of unintentionally disqualified that. Anadelle was the only child that inherited Corda strunning, bright blue eyes that not even the Capitolites could think of a reason to change. Making her, the beauty of the family.

Then, the fourth and final child, seven-year-old, Juliette, ,the sharp-tongued, quick-thinking, book worm, with an extra special upper-hand: A photographic memory. Can you guess what that makes her? The brains.

Corda would never admit it, not even if you put a gun to her head, but all of the children knew that Anadelle liked to talk about shoes and fashion, and was up for any new trend, while Emery was hesitant, and Juliette just down-right refused.

That, Kat thought as she watched Corda spoon soup deliberately into her mouth, was why she felt such an urge to be patient with the woman. She was a Capitolite at heart, no doubt, but she never forced her children into anything drastic, like, say, surgical enhancement, or hair dye. She fussed a lot, but never just said, "You're going to do it because I'm your mother and I said so."

That was why Juliette had the same jet-black hair and chocolate brown eyes, and naturally tanned skin that she had been born with. As un-Captiolish as they come, but Corda hoped it was only a phase that she would grow out of, or, at least, that's what Emery claimed. She could believe it, that's what her own mother believed.

"We missed their birthdays," She realized suddenly, sitting up straighter in her chair.

"What?" Corda and Slader were both giving her confused looks.

Kat blinked, just as confused, so Slader elaborated. "Who's birthday did we miss?"

"Oh." She hadn't meant to say that aloud. "Er...Adeen and Anadelle. We were gone for their birthdays..."

She looked cautiously over at Corda, hoping she hadn't stirred up guilt or anger, but the pain in her face was clear. The woman cleared her throat. "Yes, well, they know the unpredictability of my work. They understand...Excuse me," she choked, stand quickly from the table and retreating.

"Way to go," Slader grumbled when she was gone. "Next time just shoot her in the foot, will you? You'd save her some pain."

Kat sighed. "I didn't mean for it to come out. I was thinking aloud. Besides, since when do you care about how Corda feels?"

Slader's spoon clattered loudly against his bowl as he dropped it, whipping around, hair creating a mesmerizing flame around his head, and giving her an angry glare. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You have no regard for how anyone feels..."

"Right." Slader gave his head an annoyed nod, along with a dry laugh. "Because Kat knows everything about everyone, right?" He shoved harshly away from the table, and began to pace to the wall, hand waving madly. "You know all about the Capitolites, and how they're all stupid and ridiculous, right? All about the Districts that you've never seen before in your life until know! And, of course, no one knows anything about you!"

"You don't know what you're talking about!" She objected.

"You're right! I don't! No one does, because there's nothing real to say about you! There isn't anything real about you! You're two people! You're a fake, Katalina Snow, and the sad part it, you don't just lie to everyone else! You lie to yourself." He glared coldly at her. "You need to figure out where you're loyalties lie Kat, because you only get to have one face in the end."

Then he was gone, before Kat could open her mouth to respond. She dumped her head into her hands; angry, frustrated, hurt, and the entire time she sat there, one thought chased itself around in her head.

_I don't know!_

**And that's the end! Not really much to say...**

**So, I hope you enjoy, and don't forget to review!**

**Oh yes by the way, the schedule proceeding will include the District 12 chapter, the quell announcement, and two chapters between that and District 1 reapings. Just thought I'd let yall know.**


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